Who Is Sha’Carri Richardson, Simone Biles and Others’ Nail Artist?

“I enjoy getting my nails slayed” – says Sha’Carri Richardson. Apart from being a beast on the track, it’s her unconventional style that often catches everyone’s eye. Her bold-colored wigs are hard to miss, but it’s her nails that often showcase what she’s feeling. The 24-year-old grew up around women who always sported fresh, well-manicured nails, which sparked her love for a fresh set. She also drew inspiration from legendary track icon Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner.

The American loves showcasing her personality through her nails and found a way to make a powerful statement at the 4x100m event. Her iconic nails featured the colors of the star-spangled flag, a few evil eye embellishments, gold trinkets for texture, red and blue gems, and the Olympic rings. Her signature phrase, “I’m not back, I’m better” was sprawled across her thumb. Now, fans might wonder, how she finds the time to get such intricate details done before her races.

The sprinter relies on press-on nails from her team of nail technicians, one of whom is Sophia Kinaya Huag, also known as beautybykinaya. Sophia designed a few of Richardson’s sets for the U.S. Olympic Trials in June this year. She had met the “modern day Flo Jo” through a friend, and fate intervened when she was invited to the trials and ran into someone in dire need of press-on nails. A flip switched in her head, and she agreed. The rest, as they say, is history.

Simone Biles likes to keep them simple

It’s not too common to get a glimpse of the G.O.A.T’s nails. While her Instagram might showcase a few images of a fresh set, Simone Biles started sharing snaps of her Olympics-themed nails right before the Olympic Trials. Her designs are often minimal, but she followed in Sha’Carri’s footsteps and changed things up. Her nails featured the American flag colors, with bright red painted tips, blue gems, and white hand-painted stars. However, as soon as she secured her spot in the French capital, it was time for a fresh manicure.

For her Olympic prep, the 27-year-old visited her nail artist, Jasmine, also known as jas.nailzz on Instagram. Based in Spring, Texas, Jasmine gave Biles short oval nails featuring a simple French tip with a tiny silver crystal at the base—a classy look with just the right amount of sparkle!

Jordan Chiles’s nails feature a pop of color and texture

Jordan Chiles and Sha’Carri Richardson share more than just their admiration for Flo Jo as a style icon. Growing up, the elite gymnast often struggled to fit in with her peers, which helped her find and embrace her own unique style. Although the 23-year-old took on the role of being everyone’s hairstylist during the Olympics, her love for makeup and nails shone through just as much.

For her nails, Chiles turns to Mulano Dior, aka clawzbydior_. The 19-year-old licensed nail artist is based in Los Angeles and often works with several Olympians and celebrities. For Chiles’ second Olympic appearance, they decided on a long square-tip manicure with two different sets for each hand. Her right hand featured blue hand-painted scales lined with gold paint, while the left hand had the same pattern but with red instead of blue.

Suni Lee’s nails reminded her of her goals

Suni Lee often keeps her nails at a medium length. During her first Olympic stint back in 2020, the gymnast sported square-tip milky white nails that complemented every outfit she wore on the mat. Lee has always been obsessed with nails and wanted to let this love shine through in the French capital. This time around, she found a way to switch up her look with two different sets of minimalist manicures.

The 21-year-old followed Sha’Carri Richardson’s path and opted for press-on sets from Salon X-Tend. She wanted a manicure that is weightless and strong like her, and Salon X-tend provides her to “do that effortlessly” showcasing her individuality, wherever her meets take her. One of the sets is an oval-shaped simple French manicure, while the other one is a square-shaped tip featuring the signature Olympic rings.

Noah Lyles’ nails are just like him – boisterous

Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson have more than their sport in common—they both use their nails to express themselves. Lyles first started painting his nails to showcase his love for anime. At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the sprinter showed up with a Naruto-inspired set featuring black nails with brown and white accents. However, his manicures seem to be more goal-driven this time around.

Leading up to the Summer Games, Lyles visited his 17-year-old nail tech in his hometown of Clermont, Florida. She has always helped him bring his vision to life, and this time was no different. During the Opening Ceremony over the Seine River, the 27-year-old was spotted with a simple manicure featuring the word “Icon” written across his nails. However, he switched it up with a more bougie set before his 100m finals. The new manicure featured red, white, and blue, along with a lightning bolt, stars, and a cross.

Which of these sets are you a big fan of? Let us know in the comments!