Kaylia Nemour of Algeria delivered the country’s first Olympic gold medal in gymnastics, putting together a thrilling routine in the uneven bars final, and making history in the process.
Nemour also is the first African gymnast to win an Olympic medal.
Nemour is French and still trains in France but switched to compete for Algeria following a dispute with the French gymnastics federation and Nemour’s club of Avoine Beaumont, which has led the gymnast to embrace her father’s Algerian nationality.
The 17-year-old is a wonder on bars, swooping from one to the other with a series of releases and intricate hand maneuvers that are both athletically and technically demanding.
Nemour scored 15.7, tied for the highest score of the meet in any event.
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She’s the 2023 world uneven bars silver medalist and the 2023 African all-around champion.
While Nemour competes under a different flag — she draped the Algerian banner behind her after clinching her victory — she was very much on home soil. A raucous ovation followed after she won the first-ever gymnastics medal for Algeria.
In women’s gymnastics team qualifying, Nemour had the top score on the uneven bars with a 15.600.
She finished 32nd in qualifying for the balance beam.
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