Frenchman Teddy Riner is the first judoka to win Olympic gold in the highest weight category for the third time. In the final, he beats South Korean Kim Min-Jong 16 seconds before the golden score.
Riner, who is 2.02 m tall and weighs 140 kg, was already the individual Olympic champion in London in 2012 and in Rio in 2016. In Tokyo three years ago, he had to settle for bronze after suffering one of only three defeats in the semi-finals in the last 15 years.
In France, Riner, who was born in Guadeloupe, cemented his exceptional status with a success in the Champs de Mars Arena that was expected by almost all of his home fans. In 2016, he was the flag bearer of the French Olympic delegation, and this year he was able to light the Olympic flame together with former athlete Marie-Jose Pérec.
On Saturday, Riner also has the opportunity to win the team event, as he did three years ago. This would extend his gold medal collection to five and make him the most successful French athlete at the Summer Games. He is already the record Olympic champion in judo after his victory on Friday in front of French President Emmanuel Macron.
