Female Olympians are often judged on their looks. Now, some are taking control of their image

Anyone who's wornlong, 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 medallistJordan 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 90ship hopfloor routineat the 2023 NCAAregional final (which earned her a perfect 10),and her long, painted nails.

"You know howpeople 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,hasextensive ruleson "competition attire" for women'sartistic 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 topoints being deductedfrom afinal score.

But there are no rules aboutnail length, and some gymnasts, like Chiles and 2021 gold medal winner Sunisa Lee, have embraced it in a sport that'shistorically been strict about how its athletes should look.

It's part of an evolving conversation aboutself-expression and femininityin sport as athletes liketrackstars Shelly-Ann Fraser-PryceandSha'Carri Richardson boastcolourful hair and vibrant manicures.On the flipside, other athletes have decriedlongstanding sexism in sporting uniformsandhave sometimesfaced criticism for what they're wearing and their appearance.

Female athletes have historically beenmarketed in an over-sexualized manner, with more of a focus on their appearance than theirskills,saysCheri Bradish, an associate professor insports marketing at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the director of theFuture of Sport Lab.

WATCH | Jordan Chiles on the importance of camaraderie:

Olympic U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles sheds light on teams camaraderie

3 months ago

Duration 0:37

American gymnast Jordan Chiles speaks on the support she and her teammates have for each other ahead of the U.S. Olympic gymnastic trials on June 26, 2024.

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 isapersonal preference, she says, and some of it is about self-marketing.

Chiles, forinstance, has a paid partnership with Milani cosmetics.

"There's a rise in them really crafting their story," Bradishsaid.

"Today, athletesdo andshould havethe power to decide how they want to represent themselves on theirfield of play, andit should be respected."

A shorthistory of personal style

In 2021, Olympic runner Christina Clemons told media outletPop 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 Olympicswhile wearing Cool Ranch Doritos earrings.

"A lot of people may not expect female athletes to look feminine," Clemons told the publication atthe 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."

OnTeam Canada,trackand field athlete Jazz Shuklaqualified for the Olympicslast month,smashing the 800-metre finalwhile wearingcolourful acrylics.

The trackstars are following a trail blazed byFlorence Griffith-Joyner, a.k.a.Flo-Jo, and her iconicsense 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 coachAl Joynertold CNN in 2012.

The trend has taken off in tennis, too, where Canadian player Bianca Andreescuposted a patriotic manicure on herInstagram 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 mostcomfortable, saidTara-LeighMcHugh, a professor in the faculty of kinesiologyat 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 theychoose 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, theNorwegian women's beach handball team wasfined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottomsduring the European Beach Handball Championships. SingerPink offered to paythe fines, andthe sporting bodylaterchanged the ruleafter a playerprotest.

That same year, anofficialat theEnglishchampionshipstold double Paralympic world champion Olivia Breenthat her shorts were"too short and inappropriate."

U.S. gymnastSimone Biles and tennis star Serena Williams havefaced repeatedsexist trollingandmediascrutiny, and both havefacedcoverage that focuses on whatthey'rewearingortheir hairstyles.Williams famously wore a catsuit at the 2018French Open,which causedFrench Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicellito ban the full-body leotards, saying, "one must respect the game and the place."

Bileshasfaced social media scrutiny for her often-wispy hair, which has been called "unprofessional."

The backlash stems from society's "outdated expectations of female athletes,"Bradishsaid.

Society itself has expectations of how women should look, McHugh said, butthe Olympicsand other high-profile sporting events putthem in a globalspotlight.

"Women are often under the microscope," she said. "It ultimately mirrors what see in society."

But can you do gymnastics with long nails?

As some athletes embrace long nails, one questionhasbeen asked repeatedlyon 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'sreally 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), recentlyqualified 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 femaleathleteschoose to present themselves, bothMcHughand Bradish say they hopethe focus at the Olympics will be on their athleticism and abilities.

It's still a win that they can express themselves, as is anOlympics being touted as thefirst to achieve full gender parity,Bradishsaid.

"We're moving in the right direction," she said. "But we're stillalong way from that finish line."