Flag-themed nail art: the surprise Olympic beauty trend

If you've been following the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio this summer, then you may have noticed some of the world's top athletes embracing what is fast becoming a hot beauty trend: patriotic nail art.

The sports world's leading swimmers, tennis players, volleyball stars and others have all been getting creative with their manicures for a fun and individual take on Olympic style.

Leading the way was Serena Williams, who has long championed bold style choices on court. The US tennis legend sported a miniature American flag on her forefinger during her women's third-round singles tennis match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina last week, emphasizing the point with a US-themed scrunchie and a red headband.

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Switzerland's Isabelle Forrer matched her nails to her red costume during the women's beach volleyball qualifying match between Switzerland and Australia, adding a striking white cross to her ring fingers in a replica of the Swiss flag, as a reminder of her fighting spirit.

Manika Batra made sure that all those close-up shots of her serving in her women's singles qualification round table tennis match featured the Indian flag, thanks to her colorful and eye-catching nail design, while Canadian Jamie Lynn Broder opted for an artistic, abstract style for the women's beach volleyball qualifying match between Germany and Canada, featuring a cute maple leaf print in pillar-box red on a white background.

Gold medallist Katie Ledecky displayed her pride at swimming the 800m freestyle for team USA with a manicure that alternated red, blue, and white stripes. And finally, Marleen van Iersel managed to honor both her home country of the Netherlands and nod to the spirit of the games during the women's beach volleyball qualifying match between the Netherlands and Costa Rica, with nail art alternating the Dutch flag and the iconic five rings logo of the tournament. Team spirit? Nailed it.