Apart from an overwhelming urge to pin one's opponent to the floor of the house, there is no obvious connection between politics and the world of top-level judo.
That has not stopped France's much-garlanded world heavyweight champion Teddy Riner from throwing his hat into the ring for next April's presidential race.
The Guadeloupe-born 37-year-old may have no experience of public office, no party behind him, and as yet no manifesto. All so far is a slogan La France qu'on aime (The France we love), a declaration on social media, and a campaign visit to a hospital in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb of northern Paris.
But it would be a foolhardy pundit who would totally write off his chances.
Riner is, after all, one of the most popular figures in modern-day France, regularly topping the polls for embodying the nation's "values". He is a proven winner, with five Olympic golds and 11 world championships under his belt, as well as a successful career in business.
More than 28 million people have watched his election broadcast on Instagram and X, shot with proper presidential decorum against a backdrop of books and a French flag. Some 22% told an Ifop poll within 24 hours they "could" vote for him.
Actors and television personalities have become presidents in other countries.
