Patriotic, aesthetic, self-esteem promoters. what do athletes’ manicures hide?

We spotted them on a number of athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics: manicured, lacquered nails adorned with the craziest designs. The goal is obviously aesthetic. in sports, the opportunities to show a little coquetry or at least personalize your outfit and aestheticize it (through hair, make-up) are there, but limited. Therefore, nails are a good way to add a personal touch to your outfit. And so to assert identity.

But sportswomen’s and women’s manicures are above all patriotic: from French fencer Sarah Balzer’s tricolor nails to Australian swimmer Briana Throssell’s green and yellow “French manicure,” we notice that most of the time athletes are playing sports. nails matching their country’s flag. A fun way to wear your nation’s colors, and athletes have often said it. Not losing sight of the “game” is important when you want to win a competition.

Stand out from the crowd

But crazy colored nails are also subject to self-promotional demands; because today the main thing is, of course, on the spot, but also on social networks. We know how much Instagram and Tiktok love nail art. the more unusual, colorful and excessive the nails, the more viral the image becomes on the Internet. For this Paris 2024 Olympics, we’re thinking about the games of American sprinter Noah Lyles, who simply inscribed the letters of the word “Icon” on the fingers of his right hand. And American sprinter Shaw Carey Richardson and her oversized nails, decorated with blue, white and red sequins and crystals. An impressive manicure reminiscent of Florence Griffith Joyner, the legendary American runner, three-time Olympic champion at the Seoul Games in 1988. Died in 1998 at the age of 38, she still holds the women’s 100m and 200m records and still holds them today. , the fastest woman in the world.

But beyond the image, perhaps there is something deeper and more intimate in the details of this beauty. The hand, for most athletes, is one of the important “tools” of their discipline; a swimmer must position their arms for aerodynamics, a gymnast leans on them, a hammer thrower focuses their power there. And when sprinters are on the starting blocks, the image of their nails, shiny or not, may be the last they see before they hit the track. When you take the time to give yourself an elaborate manicure, it’s because you think you deserve it. In this sense, decorated nails take on the appearance of a real self-confidence booster, a talisman. A real encouragement.