Patriotic Nail Art Trend Sweeps Olympics

Olympic athletes appear more patriotic than ever if their fingernails are anything to go by, flaunting elaborate nail art of their national flags in a beauty trend sweeping the 2012 games.

 

At a pop-up salon set up by sponsor P&G in the Olympic Village, nail technicians are tackling up to 40 sets of nails a day as athletes catch on to the trend.

 

P&G's head of grooming says the nails have been a surprise success at the salon.

 

[Kathryn Davies, Director of Grooming]:

"They're all popular but the nail one seems to be amazing doesn't it? That's the one that's really taken off and I think that's because athletes really want to express their love of their country and it's the best way of doing it."

 

She said Britain's Union flag and the US Stars and Stripes have been battling it out as the most-asked-for designs.

 

[Kathryn Davies, Director of Grooming]:

"Well the first week the Union Jack absolutely won hands down, I mean we're in Britain so that's no surprise, so we did a lovely lot of Union Jacks, and the second week, much to our surprise, the USA took over, so I'm not sure whether that's just because the USA are a particularly bubbly and vivacious nation who particularly wanted to show their love of their country, or whether it's because it's a big team."

 

Antigua and Barbuda 400-metre runner Afia Charles said the trend had become so popular that she had to wait days for an appointment.

 

[Afia Charles, Antigua and Barbuda Runner]:

"Yeah I had to book, I booked five days before. It was everybody, it was a lot of people so I had to wait five days to get it done."

 

As these photos show, the patriotic nail art trend has caught on across many sports.