Like most other Olympic medallists, Teddy Riner has returned to the gym. With the Los Angeles Games already in mind.
The summer is coming to an end and it will remain unforgettable for Teddy Riner. As if in a dream, the Guadeloupean has indeed won a new Olympic gold in the heavyweight category, a first in his category, then followed up the next day by allowing the Blues to win the team event, allowing himself the luxury of winning the decisive fight while France and Japan were tied.
Since then, the now five-time Olympic champion, a record in French sport, has celebrated his double in Paris. Two days after his team victory, he did not hesitate to go to Guadeloupe to celebrate his feat with his loved ones. And on Saturday, he was of course part of the grand parade of champions on the Champs-Elysées, receiving the medal of Commander of the National Order of Merit from Emmanuel Macron. A first for an athlete.
Teddy Riner aims for Los Angeles 2028
According to him, Teddy Riner hasn’t even had time to take a vacation. And like the Lebrun brothers or Léon Marchand, the time for the French heavyweight to get back to work has already come.
“I’ve resumed physical training. But judo will be for the end of the month or the end of October.”he confided on the set of C à vous.
Unlike the table tennis prodigies, expected in China at the end of the month and especially at the European championships in October, or the swimmer from Toulouse, who has the short course world championships to be held in December in his sights, Teddy Riner does not have any major short-term objectives, with the next world championships scheduled for next June in Hungary.
But at 35, Teddy Riner sees further since he already has Los Angeles 2028 in mind. “I know my age but I am in great physical shape and mentally well,” he confirmed against Elizabeth Lemoine. He dreams of meeting Tatsuru Saito in the final, the Japanese heavyweight he beat twice in the team tournament. “He’s the one who’s going to sue me and I really hope it’s him, he confided to the microphone of France Inter. It must be really difficult what he’s going through: following in the footsteps of his Olympic champion father and unfortunately, he comes up against a bastard like me (laughs). And the rules of the game are that there has to be a winner and a loser and he didn’t lose to just anyone.”
