July 29, (THEWILL) – Algerian gymnast, Kaylia Nemour, made a stunning Olympic debut in Paris, outperforming Simone Biles on the uneven bars during Sunday’s qualification round. The 17-year-old scored an impressive 15.600 points, securing her spot in both the apparatus and all-around finals.
Nemour’s performance surpassed that of China’s Qiu Qiyuan, who scored 15.066 points, and Belgium’s Nina Derwael, the defending Olympic champion, qualified fourth with 14.733 points. Biles, widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, finished ninth with a score of 14.433, narrowly missing the eight-woman final.
Despite feeling pressure as a first-time Olympian, Nemour expressed satisfaction with her routine while acknowledging room for improvement. She also completed a Yurchenko double twist vault, scoring 14.000 points, and finished with an overall total of 55.966 points across all apparatuses.
Nemour, who began representing Algeria in 2023 following a disagreement with the French Gymnastics Federation, received a warm welcome from the Paris crowd. She credited her recent focus on psychological preparation for her strong performance and aims to earn Algeria’s first Olympic gymnastics medal.
The women’s uneven bars final is scheduled for a week, while the all-around final will take place on Thursday. Nemour plans to use the intervening days to refine her routines and build upon her impressive qualification results.
