Kaylia Nemour from Algeria made history by securing the country’s inaugural Olympic gold medal in gymnastics with an impressive performance in the uneven bars final. In addition to this accomplishment, she also became the first African gymnast to win an Olympic medal.
Although Nemour holds French nationality and continues to train in France, she decided to compete for Algeria due to a disagreement with the French gymnastics federation and her club, Avoine Beaumont. This decision allowed her to embrace her Algerian heritage through her father’s nationality.
The 17-year-old gymnast showcased remarkable skill on the bars, executing a series of complex releases and precise hand movements that demonstrated both technical proficiency and athleticism. Nemour achieved a score of 15.7, which was the highest score across all events in the competition.
In the final standings, China’s Qiyuan Qiu received silver with a score of 15.500, while Team USA’s Suni Lee took home bronze with a score of 14.800. Nemour celebrated her victory by draping herself in the Algerian flag, receiving a warm reception from the crowd for her historic achievement.
During the women’s gymnastics team qualifying round, she had the highest score on uneven bars with a 15.600 but finished 32nd in the balance beam qualifying. Nemour is also the 2023 world uneven bars silver medalist and the 2023 African all-around champion.