Riner, Khan, Klitschko: The sport stars that go from pitch to politics

Five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner has announced he will run for French president in 2027, joining a potentially wide-open contest to succeed Emmanuel Macron. His candidacy reflects a broader pattern of sports stars moving into politics, where public recognition and qualities associated with sport may help them win support.

Past examples include Pakistan’s former leader Imran Khan, Liberia’s former president George Weah and Ireland’s Jack Lynch, who served as Taoiseach. Other athletes have held elected office or sought top jobs: Vitali Klitschko became Kyiv’s mayor, Manny Pacquiao served in the Philippine legislature, and Luke Campbell is mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire; recent US elections also brought former baseball player Mark Teixeira, Colin Allred and Josh Turek into office.