Teddy Riner facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Teddy Riner

Riner in 2016

Personal information

Full name

Teddy Pierre-Marie Riner

Nickname(s)

Teddy Bear, Big Ted, Big Teddy

Born

7 April 1989 (age 36)
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France

Died

Not recognized as a date. Years must have 4 digits (use leading zeros for years < 1000). (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day)

Occupation

Judoka

Height

2.04 m

Weight

141 kg

Sport

Country

France

Sport

Judo

Weight class

+100 kg

Rank

6th dan black belt

Club

Paris Saint-Germain

Turned pro

2007–

Coached by

Christian Chaumont, Benoît Campargue

Achievements and titles

World finals

(2007, 2008, 2009,

( 2010, 2011, 2013,

( 2014, 2015, 2017,

( 2017, 2023)

Regional finals

(2007, 2011, 2013,

( 2014, 2016)

Olympic finals

(2012, 2016, 2024)

Medal record


Men's judo
Representing France
Olympic Games
Gold	2012 London	+100 kg
Gold	2016 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg
Gold	2020 Tokyo	Mixed team
Gold	2024 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2024 Paris	Mixed team
Bronze	2008 Beijing	+100 kg
Bronze	2020 Tokyo	+100 kg
World Championships
Gold	2007 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg
Gold	2008 Levallois‑Perret	Open
Gold	2009 Rotterdam	+100 kg
Gold	2010 Tokyo	+100 kg
Gold	2011 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2011 Paris	Men's team
Gold	2013 Rio de Janeiro	+100 kg
Gold	2014 Chelyabinsk	+100 kg
Gold	2015 Astana	+100 kg
Gold	2017 Budapest	+100 kg
Gold	2017 Marrakesh	Open
Gold	2023 Doha	+100 kg
Silver	2010 Tokyo	Open
Bronze	2017 Budapest	Mixed team
European Championships
Gold	2007 Belgrade	+100 kg
Gold	2011 Istanbul	+100 kg
Gold	2013 Budapest	+100 kg
Gold	2014 Montpellier	+100 kg
Gold	2016 Kazan	+100 kg
Silver	2010 Vienna	Men's team
Silver	2011 Istanbul	Men's team
Bronze	2014 Montpellier	Men's team
World Masters
Gold	2010 Suwon	+100 kg
Gold	2011 Baku	+100 kg
Gold	2015 Rabat	+100 kg
Gold	2021 Doha	+100 kg
IJF Grand Slam
Gold	2009 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2010 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2011 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2012 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2013 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2019 Brasilia	+100 kg
Gold	2022 Budapest	+100 kg
Gold	2023 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2024 Paris	+100 kg
Gold	2024 Antalya	+100 kg
Gold	2024 Dushanbe	+100 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Gold	2014 Jeju	+100 kg
Gold	2015 Qingdao	+100 kg
Gold	2015 Jeju	+100 kg
Gold	2016 Samsun	+100 kg
Gold	2017 Zagreb	+100 kg
Gold	2019 Montreal	+100 kg
World Juniors Championships
Gold	2006 Santo Domingo	+100 kg
Gold	2008 Bangkok	+100 kg
European Junior Championships
Gold	2006 Tallinn	+100 kg
Bronze	2005 Zagreb	+100 kg
Mediterranean Games
Gold	2009 Pescara	+100 kg

Updated on 3 August 2024.

Teddy Pierre-Marie Riner (born 7 April 1989) is a famous French judoka. He is known for being a heavyweight champion. Teddy Riner has won many gold medals in judo, making him one of the best judokas ever!

He is an eleven-time world champion in his weight class (over 100 kg). He also won two world titles in the openweight category. With the French men's team, he won another world championship. This means he is the first and only judoka to win twelve gold medals at the World Judo Championships.

Teddy Riner has also won three gold medals at the Summer Olympics in the men's +100 kg event (in 2012, 2016, and 2024). He also helped the French team win gold twice in the mixed team event (in 2020 and 2024). He has two Olympic bronze medals (from 2008 and 2020). Plus, he's a five-time European champion and has won many other major competitions.

From October 2010 to February 2020, Teddy Riner was unbeatable. He won 152 matches in a row! His amazing winning streak finally ended in 2020 at the Paris Grand Slam.

About Teddy Riner
Teddy Riner's Judo Journey
Awards and Special Recognitions
Images for kids
See also

About Teddy Riner

Teddy Riner was born on April 7, 1989, in Les Abymes, a town near Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is a French region located in the Caribbean. He grew up in Paris, France.

When he was young, his parents signed him up for a local sports club. He tried different sports like football, tennis, and basketball. But Teddy liked judo the most. He said he preferred judo because it's an individual sport, meaning it's all about him and his own skills.

Teddy Riner is very tall, standing at 2.04 meters (about 6 feet 8 inches). He weighs 141 kg (about 311 pounds). Because of his size, he has earned nicknames like "Teddy Bear" and "Big Ted."

Teddy has a family with his partner, Luthna Plocus. They have a son, born in 2014, and a daughter, born in 2018.

Teddy Riner's Judo Journey

Teddy Riner at the 2012 London Olympics

Teddy Riner was a member of the Levallois Sporting Club before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. His coaches are Christian Chaumont and Benoît Campargue.

Early Success in Judo

Teddy started winning big early in his career.

In 2006, he won both the World and European junior titles.
In 2007, just after his 18th birthday, he won a gold medal at the 2007 European Judo Championships in Serbia.
Later that year, at the 2007 World Judo Championships in Brazil, he became the youngest senior world champion ever. He won the heavyweight (+100 kg) event.

Olympic and World Championship Wins

Teddy Riner has had an incredible career filled with many victories.

2008 Beijing Olympics and World Title

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Teddy competed in the men's heavyweight event. He won his first few matches but lost in the semi-finals. This meant he had to compete for a bronze medal. He won that match, earning his first Olympic medal. In December 2008, he won his second World Championship gold medal in France.

More World Titles (2009-2011)

Riner defeating Andreas Tölzer at the 2010 World Judo Championships

In 2009, Teddy won his third world title at the 2009 World Judo Championships in the Netherlands.
In 2010, he won a gold medal in his weight class at the World Championships in Tokyo. He also won a silver medal in the open weight class.
In 2011, he won his second European gold medal in Turkey. At the 2011 World Judo Championships in Paris, he won another gold medal in the +100 kg division. This made him the first male judoka to win five world titles! He then won his sixth World Championship gold medal as part of the French team.

Olympic Gold Medals (2012, 2016, 2024)

Teddy Riner was chosen to represent France at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He won the gold medal in the men's heavyweight event, defeating Russia's Alexander Mikhaylin in the final.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he successfully defended his heavyweight title, winning another gold medal.
In 2024, at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, he won his third individual Olympic gold medal in the over 100 kg class. This made him one of only two judokas in history to win three individual Olympic golds.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), Teddy Riner won a bronze medal in the over 100 kg class. He also won a gold medal as part of the mixed team event.

Paris 2024 Olympics Mixed Team Gold

The day after his individual gold in Paris 2024, France faced Japan in the mixed team final. Teddy Riner won his match, helping France tie the score at 3-3. In the tiebreaker, Teddy fought for over six minutes and won with an ōuchi gari move. This secured France's second straight mixed team gold medal and was Teddy Riner's fifth Olympic gold medal overall!

His Winning Streak

Teddy Riner was almost impossible to beat for a long time. He only lost nine times in major international competitions during his career. His last defeat before his amazing winning streak was in 2010. After that, he won 154 matches in a row! This incredible streak lasted for almost 10 years. It finally ended in 2020 when he lost in the third round of the Paris Grand Slam.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Teddy Riner has received many honors for his achievements:

2011: RTL Champion of Champions – A sports award given by a French radio network.
2012: L'Équipe Champion of Champions (France male category) – An award from a major French sports newspaper.
2013: Knight of the Legion of Honour – A very high award given by the French government.
2016: Officer of the Ordre national du Mérite – Another important French national order.
2024: He was one of two people chosen to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Images for kids

Riner in 2016
Teddy Riner in 2012
Riner defeating Tölzer in 2010 World Judo Championships