Heart Of Gold! Kaylia Nemour Soaring In 2025

Note: Since our interview in February 2024, according to information revealed publicly by La Nouvelle République, Kaylia Nemour has decided to leave her Avoine-Beaumont club.

“She expressed the need for a change of scenery, a change of environment,” Marc Chirilcenco, her coach, explained to La Nouvelle République . Shortly after this announcement in the local press, the Algerian Gymnastics Federation issued a statement on Facebook.

“Determined to write a new page in its history, and fully aware of the demands involved in Olympic preparation, it has chosen to embark on a new dynamic ,” the press release reads. “This decision, which has been carefully considered, reflects its constant desire to reinvent itself and prepare as best it can to take on, once again, the immense challenge that an Olympiad represents .”

Like many gymnasts involved in several Olympic cycles, Kaylia feels the need to bring renewal to her environment, in order to draw on new resources to approach this Olympic cycle in the best conditions.”

Nemour was recently spotted training at WCC!

This story originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Inside Gymnastics magazine.

In a historic Olympic Games that fulfilled so many dreams, solidified so many legacies, and told so many personal stories of redemption, Kaylia Nemour’s own journey to gold in 2024 was absolutely fitting of a Hollywood script with the perfect Hollywood ending.

She imagined greatness on the biggest stage in the world from a young age and overcame so much to fulfill her dreams under tremendous pressure. Illuminated within the magic spotlight only an Olympics can create, and with all eyes on her, Nemour stood atop the medal podium inside Bercy Arena with her uneven bars gold around her neck watching the Algerian flag rise into history, her eyes full of wonder, gratitude, and pure emotion. 

“I am very, very, very happy with what I was able to do today,” she said following the medal ceremony. “It was my ultimate dream, years of work and hard work, details. I am really honored to have been able to win this medal, it’s a first for me and for Algeria, too.” 

It was a storybook finish to a captivating headline. And in many ways, only the beginning for her star to shine at its brightest—her story uniting us all in a way only an Olympic Champion’s triumph over extraordinary circumstances can. In 2023, Nemour, who was born in central France in Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, wasn’t certain she’d even be able to make it to the World Championships, let alone the Olympic Games.

Nemour represented France as a junior, achieving international success, but officially made the nationality switch in 2023 to represent Algeria after a series of injuries, and complications with the French Federation, as she navigated the next steps of her career. After undergoing two knee surgeries in 2021, the French Federation refused to clear her to compete, despite receiving clearance from her personal doctor. After much thought, together with her family’s support, Nemour decided to switch nationalities and represent her father’s homeland of Algeria, a move that was approved by the FIG, but then blocked by the French Federation. 

“I was no longer competing despite training. I was in good shape and wanted to get back on track for high-level competitions,” she told us in March. “I was blocked and I had to prepare for the World Championships and the Olympics, so we talked with my parents and coaches and decided to take Algerian nationality — my father’s nationality — to be able to resume competitions and prepare myself well for the upcoming events.” 

With the clock ticking, an online petition was created in support of Nemour, who still needed to qualify to the 2023 World Championships. Finally in May of 2023, the federation released Nemour, who went on to qualify to the World Championships after winning the All-Around title at the African Championships. The support around her was strong and allowed her to focus on her training with confidence. 

“I have a good support system, and I was motivated to continue gymnastics and to perform,” she said. “The decision was well thought out, and Algeria offered me a welcome I would never have expected! I was really happy.”

In Antwerp, she not only punched her ticket to Paris, but won the first medal ever, a silver, for an African gymnast at a World Championships. She also had the in-bar stalder to layout Tkatchev named for her in 2023. Having successfully performed the element at the African Championships, the skill is now called the ‘Nemour’ in the Code of Points.

The medal at Worlds, her overall success and its resulting emotion, lit a fire within Nemour as she headed into 2024 with the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in an Olympic Games on the horizon. Suddenly, she was not only capturing headlines in gymnastics circles, but around the world as storylines for the Games began to take shape. As 2024 progressed, and the Olympic hype heated up, Nemour stamped herself as a favorite for gold, winning uneven bars’ titles at the Cottbus, Baku and Doha World Cups. 

Her star was rising fast, and with her popularity growing worldwide, she prepared for every possible opportunity to win gold on bars in Paris, but also to hopefully make a name for herself as an All-Around contender among a field of legends including United States’ stars Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee, and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. 

“The preparation was tough and long, but I had a goal in mind, so I gave my best in every training session, which allowed me to make good movements during my appearances at the Olympics,” she said. 

Nemour arrived in Paris ready to make history and embrace the entire Olympic experience. Her first moment in Bercy brought so much joy from the time she walked onto the floor. “I was really looking forward to the Olympics especially at Bercy Arena. I was there, and I couldn’t believe it, but I was so happy there!”

She also loved the opportunity to meet athletes from all around the world, including Biles, which proved to be another dream come true and memorable moment. “I loved being surrounded by so many athletes from different sports at the Olympic Village. It was a real treat to compete alongside Simone Biles during the All-Around final. She talked to me and encouraged me, it was so cool!” 

Any anxiety she may have felt competing in front of the French fans was quickly erased. The energy behind Nemour could be felt at every turn—the enthusiastic cheers and vocal support from the capacity crowd created such an emotional backdrop to her routines every time she stepped onto the podium. It’s something she’ll never forget, she said. “The crowd was really behind me, cheering me on. It gave me a boost and made me happy to see the Algerian and French crowd supporting me!” 

Nemour’s momentum built throughout the week from Qualifications to the All-Around final where she ultimately placed 5th—her beam mount is spectacular and her floor pulled us right in with her creative choreography—to the very minute she saluted for her bar routine in the Finals. For a moment, it felt as though everyone inside Bercy Arena was holding their breath for Nemour, and living this dream with her.

Following a stellar set from 2023 World Champion Qiu Qiyuan (CHN), and defending Olympic Champion Nina Derwael (BEL), Nemour needed her maximum difficulty and the best performance of her life to rise to the top. And she did, not only with grace and style, but with a unique flourish of breathtaking skills—her routine a true mastery of uneven bars artistry that ignited everyone in the building and thrilled all of us who have followed her journey so closely. 

“I believed in it so strongly,” she said of her dreams for gold in Paris. “When I arrived at the Olympics, it was no longer a dream but a goal! I had to leave these Olympics with this gold medal. I gave myself the best possible opportunities to perform and I worked very hard to be my best.” 

The score, a 15.7, tied for the highest of the Games on any event. She truly seized the moment in spectacular fashion and brought her own history into Bercy. Draped in Algeria’s green and white flag and now wearing gold in the press conference, her sentiment was beautifully simple, but so poignant when she thought of her adopted country and how much it meant to her and to everyone, telling the world: “I hope I made them proud.” 

In 2025, Nemour’s star continues to rise. With the Olympic pressure off for a while, she’s enjoying a whirlwind of opportunities from celebrity appearances to photo shoots including VOGUE ARABIA—“Being able to express myself through fashion is a true accomplishment. As a gymnast, I’m used to showcasing feminine beauty through my leotards, but today, I had the chance to reveal myself through these stunning haute couture creations” she posted—to having her own apparel line with OZONE, and promoting some fabulous product from Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, and Coach. 

She looks up to 2012 French Olympian Youna Dufournet because of her work ethic, and hopes others see her the same way. “She inspires me a lot because she worked so hard to get where she is and her story touched me,” Nemour said. “I felt like I was her. I’m really happy to have inspired many people through my story and my gymnastics.”

Nemour returned to the competitive spotlight and arena in early 2025 and started the year soaring, winning the senior All-Around title at the International Gymnix competition in Montreal, and having a blast doing it. It’s an incredible new beginning to the quad as the Road to Los Angeles heats up, and she’s so excited for what the future holds. 

“This year, I’m continuing to train to achieve the best possible results in competitions and to enjoy myself without really having that pre-Olympic pressure,” she said. “Yes, I want and hope to go to the 2028 Olympics!” With Paris a new and beautiful page in her story, Nemour is now a true pioneer in her sport. She hopes to inspire a new generation and ultimately pave her path to LA 2028 where once again, she’ll dare to imagine just what might be possible on the world’s brightest stage.

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