Throughout the 2024 Paris Olympic Games nail art has taken center stage.
Sprinter Noah Lyles showed off his iconic manicure — literally, with nails reading “ICON” — during his semifinals and finals, while gymnast Jordan Chiles said in an interview with People Magazine that her long acrylic nails remind her to be more careful not to break one during her routines.
Yet no one is known for their manicures like Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
Richardson — alongside Twanisha “Tee Tee” Terry, Gabrielle Thomas and Melissa Jefferson — took home the gold in the women’s 4x100-meter relay at the Stade de France on Friday. Still, it was ultimately Richardson who was the star of the show.
As Thomas handed the baton to Richardson for the final 100 meters of the relay the United States stood in fourth place, but Richardson quickly took the lead, flashing a quick look at Daryll Neita of Great Britain, and stormed through the finish line.
A huge part of Richardson’s game-day glam is her custom press-on nails, created by her nail technician Angie Aguirre.
Aguirre became a viral sensation after Richardson appeared on the cover of Vogue’s August 2024 digital cover wearing a custom nail set Aguirre made and shipped to Richardson overnight for the photoshoot.
Her medal-winning nails Friday — also created by Aguirre — read, “I’m not back. I’m better.”
Following the win, cameras caught a glimpse of Richardson’s nails, which also featured Olympic rings and American-flag-themed colors and patterns.
In an article from Andscape, Aguirre answered the question many have asked, how do the nails stay intact? The answer is a lot of nail glue.
“I send her a note like, ‘Hey, put a lot of glue on these because if you win a medal, I need you to hold the medal with not one nail missing,” Aguirre said in the interview. “‘Why did you have to win a gold medal in Budapest and you’re holding it and you have two nails missing?’”
As Richardson crossed the finish line on Friday, every nail remained intact.
