Female Olympians are often judged on their looks. Now, some are taking control of their image
Natalie Stechyson | CBC News | Posted: July 24, 2024 8:00 AM | Last Updated: July 24
U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles says her nails are 'one little touch' of self-expression
Anyone who's worn long, acrylic nails knows it can be difficult opening a door handle with them, let alone turning a double back tuck and sticking the landing.
But that's exactly what U.S. gymnast and Olympic silver medallist Jordan Chiles has been doing for years. Chiles, 23, who is heading to the Paris Games, is known in the gymnastics world for her grit, her 90s hip hop floor routine at the 2023 NCAA regional final (which earned her a perfect 10), and her long, painted nails.
"You know how people always have to have that one little touch of who they are within their sport? Mine are my nails," Chiles recently told The Associated Press.
The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), the global governing body for gymnastics, has extensive rules on "competition attire" for women's artistic gymnastics, including a leotard of "elegant design" with a "proper" neckline. Jewelry, other than small stud earrings, is prohibited, and makeup must be modest. Violations of attire can lead to points being deducted from a final score.
But there are no rules about nail length, and some gymnasts, like Chiles and 2021 gold medal winner Sunisa Lee, have embraced it in a sport that's historically been strict about how its athletes should look.
It's part of an evolving conversation about self-expression and femininity in sport as athletes like track stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sha'Carri Richardson boast colourful hair and vibrant manicures. On the flip side, other athletes have decried longstanding sexism in sporting uniforms and have sometimes faced criticism for what they're wearing and their appearance.
Female athletes have historically been marketed in an over-sexualized manner, with more of a focus on their appearance than their skills, says Cheri Bradish, an associate professor in sports marketing at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the director of the Future of Sport Lab.
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But now, because women's sports are being taken more seriously, some athletes are taking control of the narrative and choosing to express their individuality through their appearance, Bradish told CBC News. Some of it is a personal preference, she says, and some of it is about self-marketing.
Chiles, for instance, has a paid partnership with Milani cosmetics.
"There's a rise in them really crafting their story," Bradish said.
"Today, athletes do and should have the power to decide how they want to represent themselves on their field of play, and it should be respected."
A short history of personal style
In 2021, Olympic runner Christina Clemons told media outlet Pop Sugar she likes wearing bold looks while competing, styling her hair and makeup and accessories to suit her mood. That year, she qualified for the Olympics while wearing Cool Ranch Doritos earrings.
"A lot of people may not expect female athletes to look feminine," Clemons told the publication at the time.
"I want young girls and even older women to feel they can be their feminine selves while they participate in sports or exercise," she said.
"I believe it's important to show our femininity while being athletic because it is a strength, not a weakness."
On Team Canada, track and field athlete Jazz Shukla qualified for the Olympics last month, smashing the 800-metre final while wearing colourful acrylics.
The track stars are following a trail blazed by Florence Griffith-Joyner, a.k.a. Flo-Jo, and her iconic sense of style.
Joyner, who won medals in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and set a still-undefeated world record in the 100 metres, also had 15 cm-long painted fingernails. She died in 1998.
"Every time you see a woman in the 100 or 200 metres with make-up and nails, that's Florence," her husband and coach Al Joyner told CNN in 2012.
The trend has taken off in tennis, too, where Canadian player Bianca Andreescu posted a patriotic manicure on her Instagram stories this week to celebrate her first Olympic Games, as did U.S. player Danielle Collins.
Whether they choose feminine styles or not, what's important is that the athletes are able to present themselves however they're most comfortable, said Tara-Leigh McHugh, a professor in the faculty of kinesiology at the University of Calgary who researches gender equity in sport.
"With more women — thankfully — participating in the Olympics, we're getting to see the range, and we're hopefully getting to more of a time in sport where women can define how they want to participate," McHugh told CBC News.
"The problem isn't so much how they choose to present themselves, but how those watching are evaluating them."
'Under the microscope'
As some athletes push the envelope when it comes to self expression, others face backlash.
In 2021, the Norwegian women's beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during the European Beach Handball Championships. Singer Pink offered to pay the fines, and the sporting body later changed the rule after a player protest.
That same year, an official at the English championships told double Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen that her shorts were "too short and inappropriate."
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles and tennis star Serena Williams have faced repeated sexist trolling and media scrutiny, and both have faced coverage that focuses on what they're wearing or their hairstyles. Williams famously wore a catsuit at the 2018 French Open, which caused French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli to ban the full-body leotards, saying, "one must respect the game and the place."
Biles has faced social media scrutiny for her often-wispy hair, which has been called "unprofessional."
The backlash stems from society's "outdated expectations of female athletes," Bradish said.
Society itself has expectations of how women should look, McHugh said, but the Olympics and other high-profile sporting events put them in a global spotlight.
"Women are often under the microscope," she said. "It ultimately mirrors what see in society."
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But can you do gymnastics with long nails?
As some athletes embrace long nails, one question has been asked repeatedly on social media: does it affect performance?
Chiles told The Associated Press that her nails have never held her back, and said they might even help.
"To tell you the truth, they actually help me with my technique, she said, explaining that she has to push herself harder when wearing long nails. "That's really how I make sure I don't break a nail."
Sunisa Lee, named the all-around champion at the Tokyo Olympics (without breaking an acrylic nail), recently qualified for the Paris Games with another pearly manicure. In 2021, after winning a gold medal, she told NBC that her acrylic nails are "good luck" — and functional, too, helping her on the uneven bars.
"Whenever I miss the bar, it hurts really bad, so it makes me catch the bar. That's why I get them."
However female athletes choose to present themselves, both McHugh and Bradish say they hope the focus at the Olympics will be on their athleticism and abilities.
It's still a win that they can express themselves, as is an Olympics being touted as the first to achieve full gender parity, Bradish said.
"We're moving in the right direction," she said. "But we're still a long way from that finish line."