Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour has helped the country earn its first gold medal in gymnastics, executing a thrilling routine in the uneven bars final on Sunday to defeat Qiu Qiyuan of China.
While U.S.’s Sunisa Lee earned her third medal in Paris and the sixth in her Olympic history by earning bronze, matching her performance in Tokyo three years ago.
Nemour, who is a native French and still trains in France, swapped to battle for Algeria following an issue with the French gymnastics federation and her club, Avoine Beaumont. This caused her to recognize her father’s Algerian roots.
Nemour, who is already 17 years old, won on the bars, swooping from one to the other with a series of releases and intricate hand maneuvers that were both athletically and technically demanding. She depended on all her skills to defeat Qiu, who delivered an almost complete routine. Qiu’s legs were perfectly aligned during her set, and she achieved a straight handstand that impressed the crowd. Her 15.5 score was met with cheers after her dismount.
Nemour scored 15.7, bidding to have the highest score of the meet in any event.
Despite battling under the Algerian flag, which she draped behind her after clinching her victory, she was very much on home soil, receiving a raucous ovation after winning Algeria’s first-ever gymnastics medal.
Lee has had limited training due to her battle with multiple kidney diseases for the last 15 months. She only got serious about Paris in December, and seven months later, she has already earned three medals. She supported the Simone Biles-led U.S. women to warm gold last Tuesday and followed it up with a bronze in the all-around behind Biles and Rebeca Andrade of Brazil.
With six medals, Lee comes one behind Shannon Miller for the second most by an American gymnast. Lee could match Miller in the balance beam final on Sunday.
