Applauded by the Algerian public but received with some reservation at her club, Kaylia Nemour shares her experience after the Olympic Games.

"Why me, little Kaylia Nemour?"

This support had already touched her during the 2023 World Championships, where she won silver on the bars. Seeing the Algerian flags, she thought to herself: "They came for me." She also mentions videos made by supporters who cheered for her with every success.

In Paris, the emotion was even stronger. "When I entered the hall and heard screams from everywhere, I thought: wow," she recounts. The gymnast admits she did not feel deserving: "Why me, little Kaylia Nemour?"

She sums up the Algerian enthusiasm with one phrase. "When Algerians support, they really support. When they are there, they are fully there, not halfway," she asserts. She adds, "It's really a boost."

Even in Cameroon, during the 2026 African Championships, she noticed a few supporters despite the sparse stands. "There were two or three families with the Algerian flag, and I was really surprised," she says. In Algeria, people express their pride and encourage her to "bring back medals to make the people proud." "That motivates me a lot," she smiles.

An explosion of gymnastics registrations

Since the Games, her popularity has far exceeded the circle of gymnastics enthusiasts. New people are showing interest in the sport and her journey, she observes. She celebrated her medal in Algeria during a surprise evening, surrounded by family and long-time supporters. "I will remember it for the rest of my life," she assures.

Her greatest pride remains the rise of gymnastics in Algeria. Previously, parents considered athletics for their children, she explains. Now, she mentions "hundreds and hundreds" of registrations, with fathers taking photos of their daughters during training.

ALSO READ: Tebboune grants Algerian nationality to Kaylia Nemour's mother

A mixed return to her former club

The contrast is striking with her return to France, at least within her club. Her family and friends warmly celebrated her. Her siblings were waiting in front of the house with a sign and music.

The reception was quite different at her former club in Avoine-Beaumont. "At the club, it went differently than I thought, really," she confides. The gymnast wanted to surprise her teammates by arriving unannounced after the Games.

"No one really stood up enthusiastically," she recalls. She hoped for hugs and congratulations, but her teammates were stretching. "They said to me: well, how was it? Congrats," sums up the Olympic champion.

"It might be silly of me," she admits regarding her expectations. "I admit I didn't really know where to put myself," adds Kaylia Nemour. She then resumed training "almost as if nothing had happened."

The gymnast also reveals that she went through a tough time after her triumph. "Just with the medal, after the Games, I had a mini burn-out," she confides. She describes an extremely intense preparation focused solely on the gold medal for "a year, a year and a half."

ALSO READ: Kaylia Nemour doubles up in Taranto, Algeria enriches its medal tally

The choice of Algeria, "the best" of her career

Kaylia Nemour also reflects on her change of sporting nationality. Blocked by the French Federation after surgery on both knees, she accepted to represent Algeria. The idea was suggested by Nadia Massé, her choreographer at the time, who was already working with the national team.

Her first trip to Algeria dates back, according to her memories, to the Arab Championships in October 2022 in Oran. "No one knew me. I arrived at the airport calm," she recalls. However, her teammates welcomed her warmly, and she remembers people as "so kind."

This choice also allowed her paternal family, originally from Jijel, to reconnect. Her father, born in France, had not returned to Algeria since the death of his own father, according to her. "The fact that I represented Algeria unlocked everything," the gymnast rejoices.

"It built me," she summarizes about this choice, which she considers the best of her career. She also confides that she dreams of spending more time there to discover the country and its people. "The more I go, the more I want to go back," assures the champion.

A new life in Dijon

Since leaving Avoine-Beaumont, announced in 2025, Kaylia Nemour has been training in Dijon with Nadia Massé. She claims her coach has taught her "to be proud" of herself. "She lets me express myself, give my opinion," explains the champion.

With the Algerian team, she won the 2026 African Championships in Yaoundé, which means qualification for the World Championships in Rotterdam. She now aims for a world medal in the all-around, a goal she considers "accessible." Since the recording, she has also won three titles at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto.

ALSO READ: End of the Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026: what ranking for Algeria?