In the women's uneven bars at the Paris Olympics, Suni Lee wins bronze. In the women's uneven bars at the Paris Olympics, Suni Lee wins bronze.

 

PARIS (AP) — Kaylia Nemour of Algeria made history by winning the country’s first gold medal in gymnastics, delivering a spectacular performance in the uneven bars final on Sunday to narrowly surpass China’s Qiu Qiyuan.

Sunisa Lee of the U.S. added to her medal tally in Paris, securing bronze for her third medal in this Olympics and her sixth overall. This bronze mirrors her finish in Tokyo three years ago.

Although Nemour is French and continues to train in France, she switched her competitive allegiance to Algeria due to a dispute with the French gymnastics federation and her club, Avoine Beaumont. Embracing her father’s Algerian nationality, she has become a standout gymnast

The 17-year-old demonstrated extraordinary skill on the bars, executing a series of releases and complex hand maneuvers with impressive athleticism and precision.

Nemour’s performance proved crucial as she edged out Qiu, who also delivered a flawless routine. Qiu's legs were perfectly aligned, and her handstand was so straight it resembled a ruler. The crowd erupted when Qiu's score of 15.5 was announced, and she shared an emotional embrace with her coaches.

Nemour’s score of 15.7 was the highest of the meet across all events.

Despite competing under a different flag, Nemour was celebrated like a local hero. The Algerian crowd gave her a thunderous ovation, marking the country’s first-ever gymnastics medal.

Lee, who has faced significant health challenges, including kidney disease, managed to achieve remarkable success. After only fully committing to the Paris Games in December, she has already won three medals. Lee was part of the U.S. team that secured gold, and she earned bronze in the all-around, finishing behind Simone Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

With her sixth medal, Lee is now just one shy of Shannon Miller's record for the second most medals by an American gymnast. She has the opportunity to match Miller’s record in the balance beam final on Sunday.