A quick browse on the Instagram page of Britain’s most exceptional sprinter, Dina Asher-Smith reveals a short collection of beautifully crafted manicures designed for major championships.

In her most recent post, Asher-Smith displays a set of carefully curated nail art as a beauty statement ahead of the World Championships in Doha. This is not the first time she has expressed her taste for beauty before race day with her online followers. 

Asher-Smith often shares her go-to beauty products specifically, glittery eyeshadow, goddess braids, and opinions on hair bobbles and scrunchies - a modern-day embodiment of a female athlete.

It is understandable why athletes may choose to include a trip to the nail salon as part of their routine game-day preparations. Nails can be likened to a small painted canvas of the mind - an expression of individuality and a feel-good factor ahead of intense competition. 

It is no secret that the nail art culture has expanded to the Olympic Games, and athletes around the world have built an impressive portfolio of designs. Over the years, athletes have chosen to express their patriotism on their fingertips to match their uniforms.

The subject of nail art and sport cannot be instigated without acknowledging American track and field athlete and world record holder, Florence Griffith Joyner. Flo-Jo’s signature talons have long become a staple memory in sporting history, despite the reality that nail art was a subcultural ghetto aesthetic in the eighties according to Ayla Montgomery, film director of the documentary ’Nailgasm’. 

Now, nail art is a tasteful depiction of style and a way for athletes to show a sense of pride, personality and nail inspiration. Just take a look at Dina Asher-Smith.