{
  "id": 20119611,
  "title": "Riner, Khan, Klitschko: The sport stars that go from pitch to politics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/riner-khan-klitschko-the-sport-stars-that-go-from-pitch-to-politics",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-15T05:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/riner-khan-klitschko-the-sport-stars-that-go-from-pitch-to-politics/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Teddy Riner, a five-time Olympic judo champion, has announced his candidacy for French president in 2027, challenging the traditional political landscape. His declaration has sparked discussions on the rise of sports stars transitioning into politics. Notable examples include Imran Khan, the former cricketer who led Pakistan before his imprisonment; George Weah, the footballer who served as Liberia's president from 2018 to 2024; and Jack Lynch, the hurler who was the Taoiseach of Ireland in the 1970s. Combatants in the political arena are not limited to former athletes, with Vitali Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxer, serving as Mayor of Kyiv since 2014, and Manny Pacquiao, a former boxer, holding positions as a congressman and senator in the Philippines. Even British athletes have ventured into politics, with former Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell currently serving as Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. The influence of sports stars in politics is not limited to the UK and France, as seen in India, where World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir was elected to parliament in 2019, and Australia, where David Pocock serves as a senator. In the United States, former NBA player Bill Bradley and former NFL star Jack Kemp have both served as legislators in recent years. Mark Teixeira, Colin Allred, and Josh Turek, former New York Yankees baseball player, Tennessee Titans linebacker, and wheelchair basketball gold medalist, respectively, have also recently been elected. While Teddy Riner's victory would not be unprecedented, his background in sports may endow him with attributes that resonate with voters and contribute to his potential success.",
  "summary": "After Teddy Riner announced his candidacy for French president, City AM took a look at the stars that swapped the pitch for politics, sport for service “If refusing to bow my head and refusing to accept chaos makes me crazy, then yes, I am completely crazy.” Those are the words of the latest person to [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}