Keely Hodgkinson stunned with a faultless performance last night, winning gold for Great Britain in the women’s 800m final. Her impeccable display was accompanied with a likewise flawless manicure: a matte lilac set with a white shadow portrait of a French antique side profile. An homage to the Stade de France where Hodgkinson won her victory; the British sprinter is not the only Olympian to indulge in creative nail sets.
American runner, Sha’Carri Richardson, has turned heads with her flamboyant manicures on the track – leaving many to question the safety of such embellishments. We turn to leading nail expert and deputy editor of Beauty Answers , Katie Walker, who reveals the best way to keep your manicure smart, safe and spotless during sport. Is it okay to have a manicure during sport? If the world-class Olympians are anything to go by – there is no harm in having a glamorous set of nails to accompany your workout.
In fact, in many cases, it’s actually better than leaving your nails natural. Many top athletes paint their nails to protect them from bacteria and fungi. Spending hours in sweaty conditions is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and painting both fingers and toenails with a protective top coat can help avoid infection of the nail bed.
Of course, this then opens up the opportunity to have fun with the set that people will see, which has led many Olympians to don their countries’ colours in exciting and creative manicures on the athletic world s.