In the turmoil after his comments on the vaccine against Covid-19, and on the ambitions of French medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Teddy Riner responds and corrects in an interview with the Parisian. The ten-time world champion (heavyweight and all categories) fully accepts his words - “to
say that we are going to win 90 medals in Paris 2024, no! It was necessary to invest already seven years back in sport, massively. Confront our youth internationally. So we can always hide behind the Covid…
”- but formally denies having tackled the President of the Republic.
“
So, it is completely false when we say that I tackled President Emmanuel Macron.
[...]
No, I never attacked the President of the Republic.
His speech Monday night was right.
Yes, our results in Tokyo were not as good as we could have hoped, yes, we will make sure to do better in 2024. And what I said about the fact that, to have 90 medals in 2024 , it would have been necessary to invest well before, I think, but I said these words before the reception, and therefore absolutely not in response to a so-called shouting of the President.
"
It is not my role to tell people "Get vaccinated!"
"
Teddy Riner
Targeted not to take a position in favor of collective vaccination against Covid-19, the double medalist of the Tokyo Olympics (team gold, individual bronze) also specifies: “
I was vaccinated as soon as I could. Because I wanted to protect myself, because I wanted to protect my loved ones and the most vulnerable, because I wanted to prepare for the Tokyo Games calmly. Because, personally, I think that's the solution to fixing the problem. I was not forced and I am not ashamed to say that I am vaccinated. But it's not my role to tell people "Get vaccinated!" ”
.
