World is not enough for teenage judoka Teddy Riner

By Chrystel Boulet-Euchin

FORGES-LES-EAUX, France (Reuters) - Ask giant French judoka Teddy Riner what he fears and he will tell you: "Nothing, no-one -- except my parents!"

The remark betrays the youth of the would-be Olympic champion, who took the sport of judo by storm last year when he won the world and European over-100kg titles.

Almost unheard of before he became judo's youngest heavyweight world champion at the age of 18 in Rio de Janeiro last September, Riner, who stands 2.04 meters tall and weighs 129 kg, became an instant celebrity in France.

The Guadeloupe-born athlete struggled to deal with the fame and the pressure of following in the footsteps of compatriot David Douillet, a double Olympic champion and four times world gold medalist.

As he prepares for Beijing, though, the heavily muscled Riner, nicknamed "Teddy Bear" by female fans, has come to terms with his celebrity.

"After Brazil, there were ups and downs but I have now learned how to cope with it all, how to say no to media before competitions," the softly spoken Riner told Reuters in an interview.

"As for people who walk up to you in the street, you can't say no to them, you should simply say 'thank you'."

JAZZ DANCING