Teddy Riner and Omar Sy, two champions in their category. photo credit: CREDIT_NON_AFFICHE
He is the most famous French judoka since David Douillet. Teddy Riner, and his impressive track record, has nothing to envy of his predecessor. After winning everything and taking a one-year break, the athlete sets out to win a new Olympic medal in Tokyo. A title that would make him enter the history of world sport forever.
A born champion
It’s the kind of image that marks people’s minds. Taken in 2002, we see the great David Douillet putting his hand on the shoulder of a young man still frail at his side and yet full of hope. A boy barely 8 years old, future big name in the world of judo named Teddy Riner. Since he was 5 years old, the little Teddy has been practicing judo assiduously. His passion will quickly go beyond the normal framework of sports practice that can be done outside of class. Teddy trains tirelessly, 6 hours a day. Work pays off. Very quickly, he was noticed on the European scene and for his 18th birthday, the youngster offered himself the best of gifts: a first world title.
Multi-card sportsman
If the face of Riner is known to all, it is also for his image that he regularly lends during paid advertising campaigns: Brossard biscuit factory in 2008, Nike or Adidas sports equipment, Atos digital service company. In 2012, these revenues exceeded 1.5 million euros per year, solely for its advertising contracts.
The athlete manages his image with the greatest care, exhibiting an exemplary attitude. At the same time, from 2011 to 2015, he followed a course at Sciences Po, as part of the Training Certificate for high-level athletes. Man is a jack of all trades. These areas of interest go beyond judo, to such an extent that one day he has this sentence in an interview: “If tomorrow I am offered to be a minister, I will not say no”.
Beyond the advertising aspect, Teddy Riner is also a committed athlete. In 2012, he became the sponsor of the Imagine Institute, an organization that develops new therapeutic solutions against genetic diseases, and does not hesitate to raise funds in person for the institute. In 2019, he launched a school, the Paris School of Sports in partnership with MediaSchool, a private education group. The objective is to train professionals in communication, digital, marketing, management, press relations, in the field of sport. The success is such that two new establishments, one in Rennes and the other in Toulouse, opened their doors in September 2020.
L’invincible Teddy
These activities in no way hamper Riner’s athletic performance. The judoka seems invincible. 10 world titles to his credit. Two Olympic titles. 5 European gold medals. Judokas come from everywhere to understand and try to parry the technique of this colossus of 2.03 meters for 140 kilos.
Rarely has an athlete dominated his discipline for so long. In November 2017, the man nicknamed “Le Bœuf” decided to put his career on standby and quit the competition. He takes a one-year break from which he takes full advantage. On his return in 2018, Teddy weighed 166 kilos. However, he has not lost any of his motivation and intends to pocket a third Olympic title. Intensive training to regain your healthy weight can begin.
The injuries follow one another with a broken rib and a hernia in the lower abdomen at the end of 2019. To the surprise of the fans, he loses in the 3rd round of the Paris Tournament on February 9, 2020. The shock is brutal for those who had not lost since 154 fights. The following year, like many sportsmen, Teddy Riner was interrupted in his preparation by the Covid-19 crisis.
Tokyo’s challenger
The return to the tatami mats after the first confinement sees the birth of a new Teddy. The judoka has not been idle and goes from 166 kg to 143 kg, to 3 kg of his form weight. Despite everything, he and his Paris-Saint-Germain club lost in the quarterfinals of the French team judo championships in Brest.
However, the morale of the smiling champion is far from being achieved. He who was leaving for Tokyo, feared by the entire judo planet will arrive at the Olympics in a heavyweight Challenger, desperate to snatch a third Olympic title and enter the history of world sport.
How much do judokas earn in major competitions
If the wages generated are lower than those of football, they are nonetheless interesting, especially during the Olympic Games. A gold medal at the Olympic Games brings in 50,000 euros to whoever wins it. The silver medal is worth 20,000 euros and the bronze medal 13,000 euros. For the worlds, the sums are much lower. A gold medalist judoka will win 4,500 euros. The silver medal brings in 3,000 euros and the bronze medal 1,500 euros. Added to the salaries of players issued by clubs. If with the Levallois Sporting Club Judo, Teddy Riner earned 90,000 euros per year, he has now risen to 400,000 euros by joining the Paris Saint-Germain team.
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