The Sweet Reason Track Star Sha’Carri Richardson Does Her Nails—Plus Her Best Styles to Date

We don’t know about you, but we’re so excited to cheer on track superstar Sha’Carri Richardson at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At just 24 years old, she’s currently the fastest woman in the world. And as if that doesn’t make her fun enough to watch, she’s also one of the most stylish—just check out her signature intricately designed nails (which, in our opinion, deserve their own Instagram account).

For most of her big races, Richardson’s fingertips are meticulously decorated with accessories like dangling charms, sparkly gemstones, and even stiletto accents. Her manicure of the moment “is based on what mood I’m in,” she explained to Nylon last month. “What am I bringing to the track that day? I let my nails express that.”

Other than matching the vibe and wanting to cross the finish line in style, there are more personal reasons behind her bold beauty statements too. For one, she credits the women in her family with shaping how she presents herself: “My grandmother, my aunt, and my mother all influence the beauty I exude to the world on a day-to-day basis, especially in big moments,” she told Elle ahead of the Games in June. “They kept their nails well-manicured. Hair was also something that I saw a lot of attentiveness to.”

Some fans have also noted that Richardson’s refreshing blend of aesthetics and sport is reminiscent of legendary fellow sprinter Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner, who set the women’s world record for the 100-m and 200-m sprint in 1988—and rocked fierce, long nails while she made history. And that’s no coincidence: Richardson herself has said that the late Olympian’s confidence inspired her to flaunt her own carefully curated manis. “Flo-Jo came to the track and knew she was going to dominate,” Richardson said in a 2021 Associated Press interview. “The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn’t have long nails.”

On August 2, Richardson debuted a new set at the Paris Games as she began competing for her shot at gold. To mark her start, let’s take a look back at some of her most showstopping nails to date.

1. 2024 Olympic Games, women’s 100 meters, opening heats (August 2, Paris)

2. Opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics (July 26, Paris)

3. 2024 US Olympic Track and Field Trials, women’s 100 meters (June 22, Eugene, Oregon)

4. 2023 World Athletics Championships, women’s 200 meters, finals (August 25, Budapest)

5. 2023 World Athletics Championships, women’s 200 meters, preliminary heats (August 23, Budapest)

6. 2023 World Athletics Championships, women’s 100 meters preliminary heats (August 20, Budapest)

7. 2023 Diamond League, women’s 100 meters (July 16, Chorzow, Poland)

8. 2023 USATF LA Grand Prix, women’s 100 meters (May 27, Los Angeles)

9. 2022 Diamond League, women’s 100 meters (May 28, Eugene, Oregon)

10. 2021 Diamond League, women’s 200 meters (September 3, Brussels)

11. 2021 Diamond League, women’s 100 meters (August 21, Eugene, Oregon)

12. 2020 US Olympic Track and Field Trials, women’s 100 meters (June 19, Eugene, Oregon)

13. 2021 USATF Golden Games, women’s 100 meters (May 9, Walnut, California)

SELF is your one-click source for all things Summer Olympics. Read our latest coverage of the Paris Games here.

Related:

• 50 People, 4 Years, 10,000 Swarovski Crystals: How Team USA’s Gymnastics Leotards Get Made
• How the World’s Best Athletes Are Using Glam to Express Themselves in Paris
• 13 Olympic Athletes’ Manicures That Work Hard and Play Harder

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