By Elsa Girard-Basset | Web journalist
A sensation in French-speaking gymnastics in recent years, Kaylia Nemour was rewarded by winning her first Olympic gold medal at the age of 17. A personal triumph which leaves a bitter aftertaste for the French federation, since after having made all its ranges in blue, Nemour turned to Algeria following a clash. An irreconcilable situation? The main interested party responded.
If certain French sectors shone during the Paris Olympic Games, this is not the case for gymnastics. The zero score in terms of medals was made even more painful for the tricolors by the full box of Kaylia Nemour, the biggest nugget of the country, who ended up preferring to represent Algeria.
To understand, we have to go back to 2021. The teenager then underwent knee surgery following a growth spurt, and the FFGym chose to delay her return to competition by imposing medical conditions. A situation refused by Nemour’s entourage, leading to the clash, the separation, and, therefore, the taking of Algerian sporting nationality for Tourangelle.
Kaylia Nemour closes the door to a return to the French team
Now that she has reached the summit of Olympus, and that this clash has been widely publicized, is a return to the blue flag possible? The answer is a clear no, as the gymnast herself explained after the competition:
I thought about representing France since I was little. But hey, it happened like that. Now, on my side, there are no regrets. I am very happy to have brought back this medal for Algeria. My choice is made, I will not return to the French team.
Read also
Olympic champion, Kaylia Nemour honest about her report to Algeria: “I was very…
Marc Chirilchenco, coach of the young athlete, agreed:
We, at the club, have a problem with the federation. For 20 years, we have been performing at a high level. For 20 years, we have had, I believe, 15 or 17 young girls in the French team. So obviously, this was not the plan initially planned, it never was. Yes, it’s a waste. Yes for the French team which would have really needed notes from Kaylia and her level. I find that this is something that was very, very poorly managed.
This situation places the FFGym in a certain embarrassment, especially since the public authorities are very critical of the management of the file. Jean-Luc Dupont, mayor of Chinon, publicly demanded the leadership of the federation leaders:
Any country that has an athlete of this level makes sure it can keep her. We constantly put obstacles in its way to make it falter. It is dramatic that we are here, and I hope that the President of the Federation and the technical director will be thanked as they should be on the occasion of the brilliant performance of the French team which does not bring home any medals.
Now, the Olympics are behind us, and it will be time to learn clear lessons, but also to point out responsibilities to ensure that we build a future for this French team. I think Kaylia’s example should demonstrate that perhaps we need to take another path.
The thread seems definitively broken between Kaylia Nemour and the French federation, and the story has not stopped making people talk. The young woman assures that she has no desire to go back, and it is therefore for Algeria that she is preparing to experience what promises to be a superb career. A hell of a snub for the FFGym.