Marie Redding, Senior Editor08.09.21
Even Olympic athletes embrace beauty trends, especially nail art, at the Tokyo Olympics.
Gymnast Sunisa Lee made headlines on July 29 when she was photographed with her Olympic Gold medal—and her long acrylic nails featuring the Olympic logo. Another Olympic Gold medalist, Nevin Harrison, won the inaugural flatwater canoe event at the Tokyo Olympics, sporting the nail art shown above.
British athlete Dina Asher-Smith, an Olympic sprinter featured on the cover of digital edition of British Vogue, enlisted nail artist Emily Gilmour, reports CNN, The blue mani she sported as she recently crossed the finish line was inspired by a Japanese masterpiece, Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa."
Beauty is a Strength, Not a Weakness
These photos spark a conversation bigger than nail art, however, about the role of beauty in sports. Do women athletes need to downplay their femininity to be taken seriously?Popsugar's Kelsey Castanon writes, "In my humble opinion, anyone who can flip, swirl, and handspring, multiple times, along a four-inch-wide balance beam while wearing long-ass nails deserves nothing but the utmost respect."
Olympic runner and Team USA Bronze medalist Christina Clemons, shown above, is drawing attention for her 90s inspired hair and makeup. She tells Popsugar that looking "runway-ready on the track is like a superpower," giving her confidence. She says, "I believe it's important to show our femininity while being athletic because it is a strength, not a weakness."
We can't wait to see the next wave of collabs, as more beauty brands will no doubt continue to recruit Olympic athletes.
Photos: Nevin Harrison via Instagram/nevinharrison and Christina Clemons via Instagram/shethemanning.
