5 frightening photos from this year's Nail Art Olympics

Remember during the summer Olympics when it became a "thing" for athletes and fans to sport their national pride on their nails? It was, for the most part, adorable. But when you actually give nail art its own competition, the result can be far from cute, if not downright frightening. Thanks to The Associated Press, we have a behind-the-scenes look at something called the Nail Olympics, which takes place this week in Rome. The competition is, perhaps shockingly, in its 12th year, having started in Las Vegas in 2001. A jury of eight people from Japan, the U.S., Korea, Italy, Sweden, and the Czech Republic hold the fate of the 220 competitors in their hands. Out of this uniquely talented group, only a few will emerge victorious within the seven specialties, including the "stiletto" category, which features painted nails shaved down to impossibly sharp points that would make Freddy Krueger squeal. Still intrigued? Read on (if you dare):

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