PARIS PROSECUTOR OPENS PROBE INTO RACIST ABUSE OF JUDO STAR RINER

Paris's public prosecutor has opened an investigation into racist abuse and online harassment directed at French judo star Teddy Riner, the prosecutor's office said. The inquiry follows remarks Riner made on a television sports programme this month, when he described feeling anxious about the rise of the far right in France. Racist insults and hate messages were then sent to him online, the prosecutor's office said. Riner wrote on social media that "debate and contradiction are legitimate" but "hatred and racism are not." He told broadcaster France 2 he would keep speaking out.

Riner, born in Guadeloupe and raised in Paris, has been voted France's most popular sportsperson and ranks among the most successful judo competitors in history. He won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics and is considered a contender for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. His remarks echo comments made in May by French football captain Kylian Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid and has Algerian and Cameroonian heritage. Mbappé told Vanity Fair he understood the consequences for France if politicians from the National Rally party gained power, prompting criticism from party figures.

Polling suggests National Rally politician Marine Le Pen holds a strong position ahead of France's presidential election next spring. Responding to Mbappé's comments in May, Le Pen told RTL radio she found it reassuring he did not want her party to win. She said his move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid had not brought him success. The prosecutor's office has not disclosed details of its investigation into the abuse against Riner. Riner said he would continue speaking out, describing the France he wants as one where "everyone knew how to live together."