Algeria's<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/olympics/" target="_blank"> Olympic </a>gold medal winners Imane Khelif and Kaylia Nemour were given a rapturous welcome as they touched down at Algiers airport on Monday. Boxer Khelif and gymnast Nemour proudly displayed their medals as they returned from Paris following Sunday's spectacular closing ceremony. The Games equalled the North African country's most successful tournament with two golds and a bronze to match their performance at Atlanta in 1996. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2024/08/10/djamel-sedjati-takes-bronze-in-800m-final-as-algeria-have-their-best-olympics/" target="_blank">Djamel Sedjati</a> won a bronze in the 800m final. Khelif, 25, overcame a storm of controversy over her gender to claim the 66kg title against China's Yang Liu <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/olympics/2024/08/09/a-dream-come-true-algerias-imane-khelif-defies-critics-to-win-olympic-boxing-gold/" target="_blank">by a 5-0 unanimous decision</a>. Afterwards she said: "I'm very happy. For eight years this has been my dream and I'm now the Olympic champion and gold medallist. I've worked for eight years, no sleep, eight years tired. Now I'm Olympic champion. "I want to thank all the people who have come to support me. All the people from Algeria and all the people at my base. I want to thank all the team, my coach. Thank you so much." The vitriol aimed at Khelif started after her first opponent, Angela Carini, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/olympics/2024/08/01/algerian-boxer-imane-khelif-caught-up-in-gender-controversy-at-paris-2024-olympics/" target="_blank">quit their bout after 46 seconds</a>. The Italian refused to shake hands after the official verdict and was in tears as she spoke to reporters afterwards. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2024/08/12/imane-khelif-paris-olympics-legal-complaint/" target="_blank">Khelif has filed a legal complaint </a>in France for online harassment after criticism and false claims about her gender. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/olympics/2024/08/04/the-dream-of-all-my-life-algerias-kaylia-nemour-wins-gold-at-paris-2024/" target="_blank">Nemour became Africa’s first Olympic medallist </a>in gymnastics as she took gold in uneven bars. The 17-year-old clinched the title ahead of China's Qiu Qiyuan, with American Sunisa Lee snatching bronze with the final performance of the session. "I'm so shocked, it's the dream of all my life. I can't believe it has happened, I'm speechless," said Nemour afterwards. Nemour's breathtaking high-flying acrobatic performance earned 15.700 points to push world champion Qiu, 17, into the silver medal position with 15.500. The Chinese athlete had set her mark just before Nemour meaning the pressure was on the Algerian as she stepped up to perform. Nemour was born in France and still trains there but switched to compete for Algeria after a dispute with the French gymnastics federation and Nemour's club of Avoine Beaumont, which led to the gymnast embracing her father's Algerian nationality.
