Faith inspired Olympic judo gold winner, says bishop

GUADELOUPE

Bishop Philippe Guiougou of Basse-Terre praised the historic victory of local judo star Teddy Riner who secured his third Olympic gold medal in the heavyweight category at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Riner represented France since Guadeloupe is an overseas territory in the Caribbean.

In a release shared on the diocese’s website, Saturday, August 3, Bishop Guiougou said, “What Teddy Riner has achieved at the age of 35 is simply enormous. What pride for us Guadeloupeans!”

Bishop Guiougou remembered that three years ago, when Riner was the double defending champion, he had to settle for the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, after four years disrupted by injuries, assuring him after this painful disappointment that he would do everything to be there for the Paris Olympics.

The courage and perseverance of  Riner “must inspire each of us”, especially our young people, he said. “It is a powerful lesson in life and faith,” he added. “Our Guadeloupean champion teaches us through the living testimony of his longevity and his very high-level performance that we can triumph through our union with Christ who strengthens us. Saint Paul also reminds us in his Epistle to the Philippians (4:13) ‘I can do all things through him who gives me strength’.”

Riner, a Christian and believer, does not hide his faith that accompanies him and carries him. “It is the Lord who showed me the way,” Riner confided ten years ago to explain his already very promising journey, the Lord whom he thanks after each fight.

This Olympic coronation, which Bishop Guiougou commented adds to the already immense list of achievements of their Guadeloupean champion, was also an opportunity to unite in prayer with all the faithful of the diocese, who may have been hurt by the scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, “a magnificent ceremony where Riner and Marie-Josée Perec, the two most successful Guadeloupean athletes, had the honour of lighting the Olympic flame.”

For Bishop Guiougou, the “best response” to the derision experienced by Christians at the start of these Olympic Games lies in the true values ​​of unity carried by sport and even more so by Olympism.

He mentioned the interreligious meeting held Sunday, August 4 on the forecourt of Notre-Dame de Paris, in which the five religious denominations that provide spiritual animation for the Athletes’ Village participated.

The Bishop expressed his joy at seeing sport and religion moving forward hand in hand for “a more fraternal world”.

He commented that the meeting, requested by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), invited society to answer the question: “How does sport mobilise the best for Man and humanity?”