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French judo champion Teddy Riner publicly distanced himself from President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, calling Macron's endorsement a "poisoned chalice". Macron had said on Monday that Riner joining the 2027 race could "only benefit the country" after Riner announced his bid. Riner, 37 and a five-time Olympic gold medallist from Guadeloupe, said "I'm not the president's envoy" while visiting a trade fair of products made in France. In his Monday announcement he said he feared France could soon become deeply divided, and he presents himself as neither left nor right, as an option for voters who reject the far right and hard left. Some critics accuse him of following in Macron's footsteps. France 24 reported that Macron's popularity is the lowest since he first took office in 2017, according to recent polls, amid nationwide protests. Polls project far-right leader Marine Le Pen to win the first round of the 2027 vote, with hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon likely to face her in a runoff. The centre-right has struggled to field a candidate with a real chance, and former prime minister Edouard Philippe has slipped to third in surveys. In an interview with Le Parisien, Riner hinted at support for pension reform and lower social security contributions, which could appeal to centre-right voters, while he also deplored that a young person's future can be shattered by lacking the right connections, name or skin colour, a message that could attract leftists. France 24 gave no details of the endorsement's terms or of Riner's campaign plans.