Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour stormed to gold in the women’s uneven bars final at Paris 2024 to become the first ever African to win an Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics.
The 17-year-old had topped the scores in qualification and improved on that performance with a score of 15.700 from the judges following a flawless fast-paced routine which featured a number of complex release-and-catch manoeuvres.
“I’m so shocked, it’s the dream of all my life. I can’t believe it has happened, I’m speechless,” she said.
Nemour’s success also provided Algeria with its sixth Olympic gold since first competing in Tokyo in 1964.
The North African nation last topped the podium at London 2012, when Taoufik Makhloufi won the men’s 1500m.
Last year Nemour, who was born in Saint-Benoit-la-Foret, France, became the first African to claim a world championship medal in gymnastics when she took silver in the uneven bars final in Antwerp.
And she went one better at the Bercy Arena on Sunday as Qiu Qiyuan of China, the reigning world champion, finished second with a score of 15.500 and American Sunisa Lee took bronze.
“In qualifying, I had 15.600,” Nemour said.
“When I saw her (Qiu’s) 15.500, I really had to fight and gave the performance of my life.
“It’s crazy, I’m honoured to have this medal after all that has happened, it’s a relief.”
The defending Olympic champion, Belgium’s Nina Derwael, ended the competition in fourth.
Nemour switched to represent Algeria, the country of her father’s birth, last year after a dispute with France’s gymnastics federation over her return to action following a knee injury.
First Olympic medal for Cape Verde
Cape Verdean boxer David de Pina was forced to settle for a bronze medal after losing his men’s 51kg semi-final bout against Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekhistan by unanimous decision.
De Pina had made history by securing a first Olympic medal for his island nation but was unable to reach the final against an opponent who was seeded second in the competition.
The 27-year-old was Cape Verde’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on the Seine.
Meanwhile, Cameroon-born Cindy Ngamba guaranteed the Refugee Olympic Team their first medal in history after comfortably winning her women’s 75kg quarter-final in Paris.
Ngamba, who moved to the UK aged 10, beat France’s Davina Michel with a unanimous points decision to reach the last four and win at least bronze.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Nigeria reached the quarter-finals of the women’s basketball competition with a 79-70 win over Canada.
D’Tigress are the first African side, male or female, to reach the last eight of an Olympic basketball tournament.
“I hope young girls are watching this. I’m the first but I should not be the last,” coach Rena Wakama said.
“If we invest in Africa, we’re capable of doing amazing things, but we [have] got to put some eyes on Africa and develop the game there. It starts with grass roots.”
Nigeria will discover who they will face in Wednesday’s quarter-finals when the group stage concludes on Sunday evening.
