Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged public racist insults and cyberharassment directed at French judo champion Teddy Riner after he spoke about his concerns over the rise of the hard right.
Riner, 37, said he had been subjected to a torrent of abuse since appearing on a television sports programme earlier this month. Asked whether he was referring to both the far left and far right, he replied: “The far right.”
In a statement on social media, the athlete said: “I expressed a concern. Everyone is free to share it or not. Debate and disagreement are legitimate. Hatred and racism are not.”
He added: “The Paris prosecutor’s office has decided to open an investigation for public racist insults and cyberharassment.”
Riner said future hateful or racist comments directed at him would be recorded and could lead to legal action. He also thanked those who had sent messages of support, respect and solidarity.
“I will continue to express myself freely, with respect and without hatred,” he said.
The sports star, who was born in Guadeloupe and grew up in Paris, has said he remains troubled by what he sees as attempts to divide France. “I grew up in a France where people in difficulty were close-knit and united,” he told Parisian media.
“Today’s attempts to divide France, to create a mood of instability are unfamiliar to me. What will we leave for our kids tomorrow? The France I want is the France I grew up in where everyone knew how to live together.”
Riner became a national star during the Paris 2024 Olympics and is regarded as a major French medal hope for the 2028 Games.
He has also linked his comments to wider concerns about anger in society, financial pressures, declining respect for institutions, weaknesses in the school system and the lack of prospects for young people.
“If I speak out, it’s neither to give lessons nor to divide,” he said. “I deeply love France: I defend its history, the genius of its people, its heritage, its republican values, and its diversity.”
His intervention follows a separate political row involving fellow athlete Kylian Mbappé, who previously warned of the consequences if Marine Le Pen’s National Rally came to power. Le Pen said voters were free to decide whom to support without being influenced by Mbappé, while fellow party politician Julien Odoul accused the footballer of being a “political activist”.
