Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into racist insults and online harassment directed at French judo champion Teddy Riner after he voiced anxiety about the hard-right’s rise in France. Riner said disagreement was legitimate but insisted that hatred and racism were unacceptable, pledging to document abusive comments and pursue legal action where appropriate.

Riner, 37, was born in Guadeloupe and raised in Paris, becoming a national sporting figure after the 2024 Olympics and a potential gold-medal contender for 2028. His comments addressed wider concerns about social division, economic pressures, declining trust in institutions and young people’s prospects, echoing an earlier political dispute involving footballer Kylian Mbappé and the National Rally.