Kaylia Nemour Wins Algeria’s First Olympic Gymnastics Title on the Uneven Bars - making history for Africa
PARIS, Aug 4 – Kaylia Nemour Wins Algeria’s First Olympic Gymnastics Title on the Uneven Bars. The 17 years old athlete made history today by becoming the first African gymnast to win an Olympic medal in Paris 2024. Competing for Algeria, the French gymnast dazzled the audience and judges with her flawless routine on the uneven bars, ultimately securing a gold medal.
Nemour’s performance was a display of athleticism and grace. She completed her double layout dismount with perfect execution, and her joy was evident as she landed and was immediately overcome with emotion. This victory is especially significant given her recent struggles. The french-algerian gymnast is born in France and has trained in France since she’s 4 years old. Yet, after a dispute with France’s federation over her training location and the timeline for her return post-knee surgeries, Nemour chose to represent Algeria at the Paris Games as France was refusing for her to compete. This decision paid off, as she has now made history for Algeria AND Africa in a sport where the continent had never previously won an Olympic medal.
Kayla Nemour was under a lot of pressure after the 2023 world champion, Qiu Qiyuan performed a perfect routine and scoring 15.500. But the French-algerian athlete outperformed the Chinese champion with an outstanding and extremely difficult routine, leading her to a score of 15.700. The 17-year-old’s routine was fast-paced and included several complex release-and-catch maneuvers that thrilled the crowd. Many of her supporters in the crowd remembered her from when she previously competed for France, adding an extra layer of significance to her victory.
China’s Qiu Qiyuan, the 2023 world champion, took the silver medal, while American Sunisa Lee earned her second consecutive Olympic bronze on the apparatus with 14.800 points. Sunisa Lee had high praise for Nemour, saying, “She just flies. She gets up there, and it just looks like a feather flying over the bar. She’s just so beautiful to watch. Everything goes so fast. It’s so smooth. I’m in awe every single time.”
Nemour shared that her phone’s screen saver had been an image of an Olympic medal – proof that visualization is so powerful and will lead to success. Now, she can replace it with a photo of the gold medal she earned today, a symbol of her hard work and determination. The 17 years old gymnast said:
“I’m so shocked, it’s the dream of all my life. I can’t believe it has happened, I’m speechless.”
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