Kaylia Nemour makes history with Olympic Gold for Algeria
On July 4th, 17-year-old Kaylia Nemour became the first African to win an Olympic medal in women’s artistic gymnastics, securing gold on the uneven bars.
This victory marks Algeria’s sixth gold medal since its first Olympic participation in Tokyo 1964.
Born in Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, France, to an Algerian father and a French mother, Nemour initially represented France before switching to Algeria, sparking controversy in her birth country.
Her coach, Marc Tcherlinko, likened her to Romanian legend Nadia Comăneci.
Nemour scored 15.7 points, matching the highest score of the competition across all events, and edged out China’s Qiu Qiyuan, with Sunisa Lee of the USA taking bronze.
Nemour expressed her joy, stating, “I am very happy to represent Algeria and to offer this medal to the entire country.”
She revealed that winning gold had been a long-held dream, even featuring it as her phone’s screensaver.
Despite having the potential to win for France, a dispute with the French gymnastics federation over her post-surgery fitness led to her exclusion from the French team. In 2022, she chose to represent Algeria, her father’s homeland.
Reflecting on her journey, Kaylia Nemour said, “I won this medal for myself and for Algeria. I’ve turned the page on France.”
Source: Africanews.com
