Judo Star Teddy Riner Withdraws from World Championships Due to Ankle Injury

"I feared it, but the medical tests carried out today have confirmed that I will not be able to resume judo for a few weeks, which therefore excludes my participation in the next World Cup in Tashkent," Teddy Riner announced on Monday in a tweet. And he added: "Two years after the Olympic Games, I can no longer take risks. The next appointment is for the next World Cup in May next year in Qatar."

The 33-year-old judoka was injured in the ankle at the end of August, during a training session in Rabat. The French Judo Federation and PSG, his club, had indicated that this sprain required "the use of a splint and the use of crutches for three weeks", assuring that his participation in the 2022 World Cup was maintained.

Bronze medalist in his category (over 100 kg) and Olympic champion by team in August 2021 in Tokyo, Riner has not participated in a World Cup since 2017. In July, he won the Budapest Grand Slam, his first international competition after the Tokyo Games.