Teddy Riner, who had to withdraw from the 2022 World Judo Championships on Monday due to an ankle injury, assured during a press conference on Tuesday September 20 that his body would not prevent him from achieve its goal of being present at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“If I have to step on the mats in 2024 with a broken leg, I will”he said, appearing in front of the press at Insep on crutches and with a splint on his right ankle. “A little disappointed not to be able to go to these Worlds”he admitted. “We had done what was necessary in terms of care. But given the injury and the operation that I was able to avoid, I’m still happy.”
At the end of August, during an internship in Morocco, the ten-time world champion was injured when a training partner fell on his ankle, and he had to resolve to give up the world championships in Tashkent (6- October 13)., Monday, specifying on social networks ““take no risk”, “at two years old” of the 2024 Paris Games.
At 33, Riner knows, however, that he will have to deal with physical problems on the road to these Olympics at home. “Judo is an extremely traumatic sport so there are injuries and we have to deal with them, except that at an age like mine, we have to be a little more careful. And to be careful is not to take these things lightly.”
Asked about any fears related to his physique, which could prevent him from going to the 2024 Olympics, the Guadeloupean replied: “My body is already saying stop, now I’m not listening to it. I’m optimizing with the medical staff and my staff to continue until 2024. But I’ve been on the mats for more than 15 years so at some point he sucks, he expresses himself as he can, except that I mute him.” And to add: “(If my body says + stop +) we won’t listen to it and we’ll go“.
Riner, bronze medalist in over 100 kg and crowned Olympic team champion in August 2021 in Tokyo after being individually gold at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, has not participated in a world championship since 2017 In July, he won the Budapest Grand Slam, his first competition on the international stage since the Tokyo Games.