Algerian artistic gymnast
| Kaylia Nemour |
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 Nemour in 2023 |
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| Full name | Kaylia Nemour |
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| Born | (2006-12-30) 30 December 2006 (age 17)
Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, France |
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| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics |
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| Level | Senior International Elite |
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| Years on national team | 2017–2021 (FRA)
2022–present (ALG) |
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| Club | Avoine-Beaumont |
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| Head coach(es) | Marc Chirilcenco, Gina Chirilcenco |
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Kaylia Nemour (born 30 December 2006) is a French-Algerian artistic gymnast currently representing Algeria in international competition. She is the 2023 African all-around champion. At the 2023 World Championships she became the first African gymnast to win a medal at the World Championships, winning silver on the uneven bars.
Early life
Kaylia Nemour was born in Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, France on 30 December 2006 to a French mother and an Algerian father.[1][2]
Junior gymnastics career
2019
At the French Championships Nemour won the all-around for her age division; additionally she scored the highest on floor exercise and uneven bars and third highest on vault.[3] In September she competed at the Mediterranean Championships where she helped France finish third as a team. Individually Nemour placed first in the all-around, on uneven bars, and on balance beam, fourth on vault, and fifth on floor exercise.[4] Nemour next competed at the Swiss Cup Juniors where she helped France finish second as a team and individually she won silver in the all-around behind Ana Bărbosu.
2020–21
Most competitions were canceled or postponed in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Nemour competed at various domestic competitions such as the Top 12 Series 3 in February and an internal test meet in October. She competed at the Coupe d’Hiver as part of the Blue Team; they finished first as a team. Additionally Nemour finished first in the all-around.[5]
In 2021 Nemour competed at the French National Championships. She only competed on the uneven bars but won the title ahead of senior competitor Marine Boyer.[6] Nemour had to undergo two surgeries on her knees after developing osteochondritis.[7]
Senior gymnastics career
2022
Nemour became age-eligible for senior competition in 2022. Although her personal doctor cleared her to resume training, the French national team doctor was unwilling to do so. As a result, Nemour opted to pursue changing her nationality to represent Algeria.[8] In July the International Gymnastics Federation approved the nationality change; however, because the French Gymnastics Federation blocked the request, Nemour would not be able to represent Algeria in FIG-sanctioned competitions (such as World Championships or African Championships) until July 2023.[9]
In October Nemour made her debut for Algeria, competing at the Arab Championships. While there she helped Algeria win gold in the team competition. Individually she won gold on the uneven bars and silver on balance beam behind Jana Abdelsalam.[10]
2023
In early 2023 a change.org petition began circulating, pressuring the French Gymnastics Federation (FFG) to release Nemour and allow her to compete at the upcoming African Championships, which serves as a qualifying event for the 2023 World Championships. In May Thierry Vildary, a French sports journalist, released a report documenting the French Gymnastics Federation's abuse of other gymnasts. A result of the report was that the FFG released Nemour, which allowed her to compete at the African Championships later in May.[11][12][13]
At the African Championships Nemour helped Algeria finish third as a team. Individually she won the all-around ahead of reigning African champion Caitlin Rooskrantz and Jana Abdelsalam. In doing so Nemour earned an individual berth to compete at the World Championships later in the year.[14] In September, Nemour competed at the Paris World Challenge Cup, where she took the silver medal on the balance beam as well as bronze on the uneven bars.[15]
At the 2023 World Championships Nemour qualified to the uneven bars final in third with a score of 14.733 and the individual all-around final by scoring a 53.699. These placements made her the first Algerian gymnast to qualify for a world championship final. Furthermore, by finishing in thirteenth place in the all-around during the qualification round, Nemour qualified as an individual to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.[16] In the all-around final she placed eighth, the highest placement for any gymnast representing an African nation, highlighted by a 15.2 on the uneven bars. This was the highest score given on the uneven bars for the entire championships and the highest individual score given in the all-around final. In event finals she missed her opening combination but still scored a 15.066, less then a tenth behind Qiu Qiyuan of China and earning the silver medal, the first world championship medal received by an African gymnast.[17]
