PARIS (AP) — When Kaylia Nemour competes alongside Simone Biles and her gymnastics rivals at the Paris Olympics, she feels right at home.
The 17-year-old athlete, one of the best in the world on uneven bars, was born in France. She grew up here, and still trains here.
She posted the best score on her favorite apparatus during Sunday’s women’s team qualifications and will be aiming for the gold medal in that discipline.
Too bad for the Olympics host country, she competes for Algeria.
The situation is due to a dispute between the French gymnastics federation and Nemour’s club of Avoine Beaumont, which has led the gymnast to embrace her father’s Algerian nationality.
The long-lasting crisis was settled after the French minister for Sport intervened following an initial refusal from the federation to release the gymnast that could have jeopardized her presence in Paris.
Nemour’s massive score of 15.600 on Sunday was unmatched by any of her rivals. It was the second highest score of the day on any apparatus, bettered only by Biles’ first vault score of 15.800. Nemour was consistent on all four events and was on course to qualify for the all-around final.
“I’m in the mix with the best, and I can improve things, I have some time left to work,” she said.
The conflict between Nemour — who holds dual citizenship — and the French federation started after Nemour suffered from a bone and cartilage condition and had to undergo surgery on both knees in 2021. The federation thought her problems were the result of overtraining during a time her body was growing up and decided to postpone the moment she would return to competition, despite her surgeon giving a go-ahead.
The long dispute ended last year as she was finally authorized to put on an Algerian leotard. Since she switched, Nemour has been on a high-speed ride to success.
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At last year’s world championships, she won a silver medal on uneven bars, the first World medal by a gymnast representing an African nation. She is also an African all-around champion and has an element named after her in the Code of Points.
Despite her decision to fulfill her Olympic dream under another banner, the crowd at the Bercy Arena treated her to a huge ovation after she completed her highly difficult bars routine Sunday.
“I was super happy, I did not necessarily expect it,” she said, adding that she felt both French and Algerian on a day her scintillating display wowed her fans in both countries.
But if she wins a medal next week — no African nation has ever claimed an Olympic gymnastics medal before — it’s Algeria which will make history.
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