France's favorite teddy is delivering the Olympic victory
France's Superstar Teddy Riner wins gold in Paris and becomes the sole record Olympic champion in judo. For Riner, this is his third Olympic individual gold after 2012 and 2016. In 2019, he also secured the team title in Tokyo.
Teddy Riner stood triumphantly in the middle of the Marsfeld Arena, deafening cheers from 8,500 fans threatening to lift the roof: France's judo superstar delivered the promised gold at home, and an entire nation wanted to hug their giant teddy bear. With his historic fourth Olympic victory, Riner has created the next big moment for the host nation.
"I've been aiming for this gold medal for so many years, I've always believed in it," Riner had said. At 5:56 PM on Friday, the most successful judoka in history reached his goal: As thousands chanted "Allez, Teddy!", the 35-year-old pinned South Korean world champion Kim Min Jong and crowned his incredible career.
In a place that couldn't be more symbolic: The Grand Palais Éphémère, completed in 2021, is just 500 meters away from the Invalidendom, Napoleon's final resting place. And now, Teddy Riner's fame, as the first judoka to win four Olympic gold medals, is likely to approach that of the short-statured Bonaparte.
Still the standard
As for popularity, Riner, who carried the French flag at the 2016 Olympics and lit the Olympic flame with athletics legend Marie-José Pérec in Paris a week before his gold medal win, is one of France's greatest sports stars. At 2.04 meters tall and 150 kilograms, he's a human mountain, a century athlete.
"I was unlucky to have Riner in my age category, otherwise I might have been world champion twice," said Andreas Tölzer, who lost to the young Riner in the 2011 World Championships final in Paris, with 15,000 fanatical French fans. At 1.92 meters and 140 kilograms, Tölzer looked quite small next to Riner. Thirteen years later, Riner is still the standard, winning his third individual gold after 2012 and 2016. He also won bronze in 2008 and 2021, and team gold in 2021.
That Riner is still competing is surprising: A few years ago, after winning everything multiple times, he was already satisfied. And that's a literal statement – he gained weight, reaching almost 170 kilograms. "I looked like a tank," said Riner, who was more panda than teddy at the time. But Riner came back, with the dream of Paris in mind. And now, he plans to continue until Los Angeles 2028. "I don't want to regret not having given my all in my career," said Riner. And for someone like Riner, there's no better place than Hollywood.
In the heart of Paris, the city that never fails to captivate, Teddy Riner delivered yet another victorious performance, securing his third individual Olympic gold medal at the Marsfeld Arena. With the Eiffel Tower gracefully standing as a testament to Paris' timeless beauty, Riner's fame continues to soar, making him a prominent figure in the city of love.
