15.700. That’s what Kaylia Nemour took to exert her dominance over the uneven bars at the Bercy Arena today. 20 minutes into the competition, it was established that Nemour had taken a mighty lead and was practically ‘unreachable.’ But Suni Lee was yet to step onto the mats. Thus, much more than a glimmer of hope rested in the minds of Americans. However, Nemour’s picture-perfect maneuvers on the bars restricted Suni Lee’s hopes of upgrading her medal on the apparatus from Tokyo. And, with a 14.800, Lee was far beyond her league today.

But who is this 17-year-old gymnastic prodigy? Well, Kaylia is an Algerian gymnast; however, she is not unknown to the host country, as she was born and brought up in France. A dual-citizenship holder, she was welcomed by the home crowd with great sap, and well, she did justice to their hopes. But winning the title engulfed her in a feeling of overwhelm. And the Algerian, donning a white leotard embellished with rhinestones, wept tears of joy as China’s Qiyuan Qiu embraced her. Completing the aww-worthy frame, Lee joined the gold and silver medalists for a high five and hugged Nemour too. At the end of the day, the spirit of sportsmanship prevails over everything else!

Today was all about Nemour ‘swinging’ her way into Algerian history. Call it a dream come true or a pinch-me moment, it was perhaps a mix of everything for her. Her golden feat now makes Nemour the first ever gymnast to win a gold medal at the Olympics for her nation. Plus, she is now the sixth Olympic gold winner ever in her country. And how could she not? Her performance was a top-class show. Pulling off multiple moves like Tkachev, Pak, Komova II, and Ezhova in her routine, she exhibited both skill and finesse. Minor errors during the pirouettes, but nothing too shabby to amount to penalties.

But if Nemour has a strong connection to France, which is also where she currently trains, how come she was representing the Algerian flag? Let’s get to know how 2022 nearly flipped the course of her gymnastics career.

The fiasco that pushed Kaylia Nemour’s switch-flags

From 2017 to 2021, Nemour competed as a budding star for the French Gymnastics Federation. But two years ago, she made a tough call under dire circumstances. All this started with overtraining. Apparently, Nemour wished to hone her skills for Olympic conditioning at Avoine Beaumont Gymnastique, housed in France. However, as per the French Federation’s newest list of guidelines, the only two options were Vincennes and St. Etienne. One was a suburb in Paris, while the other was nestled in the south-eastern regions of France.

But for Nemour, the conditions to leave her gym and her hometown were absolute deal-breakers. “My home is within walking distance from the gym. I’m really happy with my coaches. Why would I leave?” she informed the New York Times. Indeed, it seemed like a valid thought. Before the Olympic Games, it is imperative that athletes are comfortable and feel 100 percent. Nonetheless, this is not where it ends. In 2021, when Nemour’s advanced osteochondritis required her to undergo surgery, her training club landed in a cross fight with the French Federation. The latter was of the opinion that Nemour was being ‘overtrained.’

Despite Nemour standing her ground and giving a clean chit to her club, she then decided to switch to her father’s birthplace, Algeria. Transitioning was not easy for her either. But after a long-drawn wait, the French federation eventually released her. “But it’s the past, it’s behind me, I have to keep moving forward. Algeria opened its doors to me and welcomed me with open arms, so I’m very happy.” Indeed, today, she proved that the country landed a gem.