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Algerian Judoka Disqualified From Olympics Before Bout Against Israeli

FILE - Victor Sterpu of Moldova, background and Tohar Butbul of Israel compete during their men’s -73kg round of 16 judo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, FIle)
FILE - Victor Sterpu of Moldova, background and Tohar Butbul of Israel compete during their men’s -73kg round of 16 judo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, FIle)
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Algerian Judoka Disqualified From Olympics Before Bout Against Israeli

FILE - Victor Sterpu of Moldova, background and Tohar Butbul of Israel compete during their men’s -73kg round of 16 judo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, FIle)
FILE - Victor Sterpu of Moldova, background and Tohar Butbul of Israel compete during their men’s -73kg round of 16 judo match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, FIle)

Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris was disqualified on Sunday for exceeding the weight limit the day before his Olympic 73 kg bout against Israeli Tohar Butbul, organizers said.

The 22-year-old weighed in at 73.4 kg in Paris, resulting in him being removed from the draw by the international judo federation.

Organizers said in a statement that Dris had "failed the weigh-in" and therefore his opponent would "win the scheduled contest by walkover".

In the past several other judokas have pulled out or refused to compete against Israeli opponents.

The Algerian national Olympic committee declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

"Tohar's competitor has removed himself from the competition," the Israeli Olympic Committee said in a statement.

Dris's compatriot Fethi Nourine was sent home from the Tokyo Olympics three years ago for refusing to fight Butbul.

"We worked a lot to reach the Olympics... but the Palestinian cause is bigger than all of this," Nourine said at the time.

At least 39,258 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a military campaign in retaliation for an attack on October 7 last year by Hamas militants, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.

 

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Algeria's Nemour Outshines Biles, Qui On Uneven Bars at Olympics

FILE - Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour competes on the uneven bars to win the silver medal during the apparatus finals at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The 17-year-old athlete, one of the best in the world on uneven bars, was born in France. She grew up here, and still trains here. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
FILE - Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour competes on the uneven bars to win the silver medal during the apparatus finals at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The 17-year-old athlete, one of the best in the world on uneven bars, was born in France. She grew up here, and still trains here. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
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Algeria's Nemour Outshines Biles, Qui On Uneven Bars at Olympics

FILE - Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour competes on the uneven bars to win the silver medal during the apparatus finals at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The 17-year-old athlete, one of the best in the world on uneven bars, was born in France. She grew up here, and still trains here. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
FILE - Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour competes on the uneven bars to win the silver medal during the apparatus finals at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The 17-year-old athlete, one of the best in the world on uneven bars, was born in France. She grew up here, and still trains here. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour outshone Simone Biles on the uneven bars Sunday to qualify for the apparatus and the women's all-around finals at the Paris Olympics.

The 17-year-old French-born athlete earned an impressive 15.600 points for her bars routine -- an acrobatic, gravity-defying performance full of technical skill and difficulty at Bercy Arena, AFP reported.

China's Qiu Qiyuan, 17, who beat Nemour to gold at last year's world championships in Antwerp, was second with a score of 15.066 points.

Defending Olympic champion Nina Derwael of Belgium, a former two-time world champion, qualified fourth with 14.733.

Biles, 27, achieved 14.433 on the apparatus which is her weakest, and the four-time Olympic champion finished ninth to just miss out on the eight-woman final in a week's time.

"It's good, but could be better," said Nemour.

"It was a lot of pressure because it's the first apparatus, first Olympics, and I'm starting with the bars, my goal.

"But I'm happy, it went really well. There is still a week before the final and I still have room to improve."

Nemour also pulled off the Yurchenko double twist vault, scoring 14.000, on her final apparatus. She had a few errors on floor (13.160) and beam (13.200) but her overall total of 55.966 earned a place in Thursday's all-around final.

Nemour has competed for Algeria since last year after a dispute with the French gymnastics federation, and was delighted with the warm welcome in Paris.

"I didn't expect that," she said.

"Obviously, it's stressful but overall I'm happy with that performance."

Working on the psychological side for the past year has been "paying off", she said.

"I can still improve things. I have three days left to work, so I'm just going to make the most of it."

She will be bidding to earn a first gymnastics medal for Algeria.