<p>Fantasy nail artist Park Young from Korea created these winter Olympics-themed nails.</p>

Fantasy nail artist Park Young from Korea created these winter Olympics-themed nails.

<p>Jang Hye Sook (Division 1), Jang In Hee (Division 2), and Sang Mi Seo (Division 3) were the Winner of Winners, accumulating the most points in each of their divisions, helping the Korean team to win the Team Champion award.</p>

Jang Hye Sook (Division 1), Jang In Hee (Division 2), and Sang Mi Seo (Division 3) were the Winner of Winners, accumulating the most points in each of their divisions, helping the Korean team to win the Team Champion award.

<p>Tiffany Silver (right) took first and Thao Nguyen (left) took second in the Division 1 Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition.</p>

Tiffany Silver (right) took first and Thao Nguyen (left) took second in the Division 1 Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition.

<p>Nubar educator Shannon McCown from Portland, Ore., competed in the Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition at the Nailympics. McCown was once a regular competitor, but it had been over seven years since her last competition.</p>

Nubar educator Shannon McCown from Portland, Ore., competed in the Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition at the Nailympics. McCown was once a regular competitor, but it had been over seven years since her last competition.

<p>Katie Cazorla, salon owner and star of The Nail Files, was the MC for the Nailympics awards presentation.</p>

Katie Cazorla, salon owner and star of The Nail Files, was the MC for the Nailympics awards presentation.

<p>Swedish judge Irina Gafvelin and NAILS editor Hannah Lee were two of the judges for the mixed media nail art competition.</p>

Swedish judge Irina Gafvelin and NAILS editor Hannah Lee were two of the judges for the mixed media nail art competition.

<p>Division 3 soak-off gel winners Rachel Mouritsen (3rd), Allison Baker (1st), and Lorena Marquez (2nd) are no strangers to the competition circuit.</p>

Division 3 soak-off gel winners Rachel Mouritsen (3rd), Allison Baker (1st), and Lorena Marquez (2nd) are no strangers to the competition circuit.

<p>3-D Fantasy Nail Art winners Adrianna Riveros (3rd), Nam In Ja (1st), and Park Young (2nd) spent over 250 hours combined sculpting their 3-D works of art.</p>

3-D Fantasy Nail Art winners Adrianna Riveros (3rd), Nam In Ja (1st), and Park Young (2nd) spent over 250 hours combined sculpting their 3-D works of art.

<p>EZ Flow&rsquo;s Allison Baker took home one 1st place, one 2nd place, and three 3rd place medals.&nbsp;</p>

EZ Flow’s Allison Baker took home one 1st place, one 2nd place, and three 3rd place medals. 

<p>Fantasy nail artist Adrianna Riveros created a fairy picnic scene in her first Fantasty Nail Art competition.</p>

Fantasy nail artist Adrianna Riveros created a fairy picnic scene in her first Fantasty Nail Art competition.

1/10
 
View all
<p>Fantasy nail artist Park Young from Korea created these winter Olympics-themed nails.</p>
1/10
 
Slider

Fantasy nail artist Park Young from Korea created these winter Olympics-themed nails.

<p>Jang Hye Sook (Division 1), Jang In Hee (Division 2), and Sang Mi Seo (Division 3) were the Winner of Winners, accumulating the most points in each of their divisions, helping the Korean team to win the Team Champion award.</p>
2/10
 
Slider

Jang Hye Sook (Division 1), Jang In Hee (Division 2), and Sang Mi Seo (Division 3) were the Winner of Winners, accumulating the most points in each of their divisions, helping the Korean team to win the Team Champion award.

<p>Tiffany Silver (right) took first and Thao Nguyen (left) took second in the Division 1 Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition.</p>
3/10
 
Slider

Tiffany Silver (right) took first and Thao Nguyen (left) took second in the Division 1 Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition.

<p>Nubar educator Shannon McCown from Portland, Ore., competed in the Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition at the Nailympics. McCown was once a regular competitor, but it had been over seven years since her last competition.</p>
4/10
 
Slider

Nubar educator Shannon McCown from Portland, Ore., competed in the Acrylic Tip and Overlay competition at the Nailympics. McCown was once a regular competitor, but it had been over seven years since her last competition.

<p>Katie Cazorla, salon owner and star of The Nail Files, was the MC for the Nailympics awards presentation.</p>
5/10
 
Slider

Katie Cazorla, salon owner and star of The Nail Files, was the MC for the Nailympics awards presentation.

<p>Swedish judge Irina Gafvelin and NAILS editor Hannah Lee were two of the judges for the mixed media nail art competition.</p>
6/10
 
Slider

Swedish judge Irina Gafvelin and NAILS editor Hannah Lee were two of the judges for the mixed media nail art competition.

<p>Division 3 soak-off gel winners Rachel Mouritsen (3rd), Allison Baker (1st), and Lorena Marquez (2nd) are no strangers to the competition circuit.</p>
7/10
 
Slider

Division 3 soak-off gel winners Rachel Mouritsen (3rd), Allison Baker (1st), and Lorena Marquez (2nd) are no strangers to the competition circuit.

<p>3-D Fantasy Nail Art winners Adrianna Riveros (3rd), Nam In Ja (1st), and Park Young (2nd) spent over 250 hours combined sculpting their 3-D works of art.</p>
8/10
 
Slider

3-D Fantasy Nail Art winners Adrianna Riveros (3rd), Nam In Ja (1st), and Park Young (2nd) spent over 250 hours combined sculpting their 3-D works of art.

<p>EZ Flow&rsquo;s Allison Baker took home one 1st place, one 2nd place, and three 3rd place medals.&nbsp;</p>
9/10
 
Slider

EZ Flow’s Allison Baker took home one 1st place, one 2nd place, and three 3rd place medals. 

<p>Fantasy nail artist Adrianna Riveros created a fairy picnic scene in her first Fantasty Nail Art competition.</p>
10/10
 
Slider

Fantasy nail artist Adrianna Riveros created a fairy picnic scene in her first Fantasty Nail Art competition.

The last time the Nailympics were in the United States was back in 2006 at the last International Hair and Nail show in Las Vegas. When the show was sold to IBS, we stopped having the event here in the U.S.

The Nailympics have been going on successfully in London ever since and the competitions have grown every year. So much so that it is now considered the leading international competition in the world.

The goal to bring the Nailympics back to the U.S. was to offer U.S. competitors the chance to compete on an international level against international competitors.

This year the Nailympics had people who came to compete from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, Australia, Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all over the U.S.

The Korean Team Bongsoonga Sontop Nailxpert Group took home the Team Champion award, thanks to winning all three Winner of Winners categories. Division 1 Winner of Winners was awarded to Jang Hye Sook, who took home three first-place awards and one second-place award. Division 2 Winner of Winners was awarded to Jang In Hee, who took home six first-place awards. And the Division 3 Winner of Winners was awarded to Sang Mi Seo, who took home three first-place awards and four second-place awards. Congratulations to the team from Korea. (You can see a list of the rest of the winners here.)

— Lysa Comfort, head judge, Nailympics

Related Photo Gallery:

International Beauty Expo 2011

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.