For phenom Sha’Carri Richardson, stepping out of the house on any day means she is always ready to go.
“I’ve always been taught that anytime you leave your house, you should look your best,” the 100m and 200m specialist explained in a June interview with Nylon. “I feel that way when I compete, even though it’s on a larger scale. In life, you walk out your house and you want to manifest great things for yourself or attract just positive energy. In order to do that, you start with what makes your energy good.”
For the sprinter, who aims to clinch medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, those winning vibes are at her fingertips.
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“Of course I love to mix it up with my fingernails,” the 24-year-old Dallas native said of her signature long tips. Her manicure of the moment “is based on what mood I’m in,” she continued. “What am I bringing to the track that day? I let my nails express that as well.”
At the 2023 World Championships, where Richardson won gold in both the 100m and the 4x100m relay, she sported a variety of press-on nails, including neon hues, pink bejeweled designs, and white floral patterns, as reported by E News.
However, not all of her looks are DIY.
“I actually have a couple of nail techs that do different things for me,” said Richardson, revealing her squad of four: “One would be Tokyo—she’s located in Orlando, and she’s phenomenal. Another one of my girls’ names is—I call her Bunny—but her name’s Mariah. There’s Ms. Kelly, and then also there’s Angie, who I love and who does my nails a lot when I travel.”
The professionals behind Richardson’s looks are just as on top of their game as the athlete herself.
“My nail techs are incredible, creative women, so most of the time, I just give them a color and then from the color, they just create and do their own thing,” Richardson explained.
“For the different events, they’ll go based off either my uniform, my hair, or literally just the energy they want to express. And then for some reason, what they create just matches my energy and my vibe. So we’re locked in some energetic way. We’re all just locked in.”
The sprinter won hearts recently after showcasing her patriotic new nails while attending the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At the 2023 World Championships, she ran in style with shimmering orange nails. Ready to compete, the Dallas native sported an elegant floral set with two stiletto accent nails.
Even while holding an Olympic Trial gold medal recently, the real focus was on her colorful, gem-covered nails.
