Algeria's Kaylia Nemour became the first African gymnast to win an Olympic medal when she secured the gold with a breathtaking routine on the uneven bars at the Paris Games on Sunday that wowed the crowd in Bercy Arena.

The 17-year-old's fast-paced routine featuring a number of complex release-and-catch manoeuvres delighted the crowd who came to support a gymnast who had previously represented France.

Fans roared and jumped to their feet as soon as Nemour completed her dismount. She immediately broke down in tears as she handed Algeria their first medal of the Paris Olympics, with her performance scoring a staggering 15.700 points.

China's Qiu Qiyuan, the 2023 world champion, took silver after trailing Nemour by only 0.2 of a point. US gymnast Sunisa Lee claimed a second successive Olympic bronze on the apparatus with 14.800 points.

Nina Derwael of Belgium, the champion at the Tokyo Games, finished 0.034 of a point off the podium.

Meanwhile, the other Chinese competitor Zhang Yihan started the event on the high bar, but during a release, she was not able to grip back the bar leading to a deduction. She immediately got back on the apparatus to finish the rest of her routine, but Zhang did take a few steps back during the dismount to earn her a score of 12.800.

And there was a second gold medal for the Philippines on Sunday. Fresh from winning the men's individual floor event, Carlos Edriel Yulo won the gold medal in the men's vault.

Armenian Artur Davtyan won the silver medal and Britain's Harry Hepworth took the bronze. (Additional reporting from Reuters)
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Last updated: 2024-08-04 HKT 23:27