The 17-year-old backed up her Cottbus victory with a second, straight gold Saturday (9 March)
Algerian Kaylia Nemour continued her dominance on the uneven bars Saturday (9 March), winning her second-straight World Cup gold medal at the International Gymnastics Federation’s Baku (Azerbaijan) World Cup.
The 17-year-old posted a massive 15.433 for her dynamic, non-stop routine to take the win. She was more than a point clear of Elisa Iorio of Italy, who took second at 14.300. The United States’ Katelyn Jong rounded out the podium after earning a 13.733.
For Nemour, the win comes just two weeks after posting the same mark at the World Cup in Cottbus, Germany.
The history-making gymnast became the first representing an African nation to win a medal at the World Championships in 2023 when she took silver on bars. But her performances – and big scores – in 2024 mark her as a gold medal favourite at this summer’s Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“It’s beautiful what she does,” said reigning Olympic uneven bars champion Nina Derwael of Belgium, according to sporza.be. “I don’t think anyone will take the gold from her in Paris.”
Derwael is currently working her way back on the apparatus following major shoulder surgery.
In Saturday’s other women’s final on the vault, Bulgaria’s Valentina Georgieva took top honours, averaging a 13.799. Her second vault was a clear Tsukahara with a full twist.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s An Chang Ok finished right behind with a 13.783 average. Georgieva and An’s one-two finish was a reversal from the results of the World Cup competitions in Cairo and Cottbus where An was the champion, while the Bulgarian settled for second.
