Judo GOAT Teddy Riner adds BJJ to his training in hopes of another Olympic Gold in 2028

Teddy Riner is the two-time individual Olympic heavyweight judo champion from France. He’s widely considered one of the most dominant Judokas of all time.

Recently, he has expressed his desire to continue his career beyond the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics and potentially compete in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The 33-year-old judoka made the comments during a recent interview with French newspaper L’Equipe while preparing for the World Championships in Japan.

Riner’s bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games and helped France win the first mixed team title.

He spoke about his physical condition and his passion for the sport, saying, “Physically I feel good and the desire is still very present, so why would I stop when I love what I do? For the moment, I do not feel tired.”

He also acknowledged the possibility of competing in the 2028 Olympics, saying, “For the moment, we are on 2024, but for 2028 I did not say no.”

Preparing for the World Championships, Riner has been practicing ju-jitsu moves to improve his technique.

“I managed to incorporate techniques on the ground that will serve me for my judo.”

He also noted that learning new techniques and adding weapons to his plan was essential for his progress and success in the sport.

Riner spoke highly of the ju-jitsu experts who have been training him, stating that they have a lot of interesting techniques that could make a difference in the Olympic final.

He emphasized the importance of executing moves with speed and precision, saying, “The idea is above all to gain in speed of execution. That’s what I’m trying to lean towards.”

The French judoka also highlighted the importance of hunger and determination in winning Olympic gold, stating, “On the day of the Games, whoever is hungriest will win.”

Looking ahead, Riner will compete in the World Championships in Doha from May 7 to 14, where he will aim to win his 11th title. With his focus on adding new techniques to his arsenal and his determination to continue his career beyond the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.