The Evolution of Olympic Gymnastics Beauty Trends

Romanian Nadia Comenci truly stole the show during the 1976 Olympics—she was awarded the first perfect 10.0 score ever in the Games and then proceeded to get an insane *seven more* perfect 10's during the competition. At the same time, ponytails also made their play during the '76 games, and have become a staple ever since. The slicked-back style clearly makes the most sense for competitors, but up until the '70s, athletes were still abiding by "ladylike" styles while they competed—thankfully the freedom of the '70s also ushered in more sensible competition styles.

When the '90s rolled around, we were introduced to Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, and Kerri Strug, who would become Olympic icons. To coordinate with their outfits, the '92 team opted for white scrunchies—perfect for the early '90s. Most of the girls wore their hair in ponytails, but a few pulled it up up into a bun before securing the scrunchie around it so everyone matched. Each gymnast also had bangs that they curled across their foreheads—another oh-so-'90s trend.

The '96 gold-winning Olympic team was nicknamed the Magnificent Seven for good reason. If you don't remember the Atlanta games, the U.S. team was barely ahead of Russia when Dominique Moceanu fell on her last two vault events, and Kerri Strug also fell, injuring her ankle. In order to win, Strug had to nail her last vault, and that she did—ignoring her injured ankle and winning gold for the team. As for the beauty trends, they were pretty on par with the time—most of the girls wore their hair slicked back into a ponytail with a white scrunchie, while others, like Strug, sported short, cropped cuts.

The '08 gymnastics team brought us Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone, and Nastia Liukin, along with a silver team medal, and the introduction of hair ribbons. While many of the athletes still wore white scrunchies (yes, in 2008) Johnson went with ribbons, bringing a bit of a cheerleader vibe to the classic gymnast ponytail. Another new addition was the front hair twist. In the past, gymnasts would shellac their hair with hairspray, but the '08 crew opted for a little more height with this twisted style. And of course, the makeup had progressed too. Instead of pastel shadow, the girls opted for just a little black liner or soft brown shadow.

While of course the Rio Olympics have yet to get under way, we've gotten a peek at the team's beauty style during the trials—and let's just say we're sure they're going to bring it. With the return of Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman, as well as the addition of Simone Biles, Madison Kocian, and Laurie Hernandez, there is plenty to look forward to. And beauty-wise, the trials had the athletes rocking a ton of glitter on their faces, both with eye makeup and even on their cheeks. Tune in on August 5th to see if they translate the sparkly looks to this year's Games.