Japanese swimmers like Terakawa Aya, pictured here, will have to tame their fashionista ways. Photo: Getty Images
Style Censorship Alert! Japan announced today that it's cracking down on the style antics of its competitive swimmers.
Swimmers may face lifetime bans from the sport if they decorate their fingernails or wear bright polish, dye their hair, or wear earrings. This may be a tough bill to face in a culture that's all about self expression - and revered for its creative nail art.
The ruling, according to Reuters, is to prevent swimmers from showing up for competitions looking more rockstar chic than diver geek.
"The United States and Australia are also setting these criteria," the Japan Swimming Federation's executive director Masafumi Izumi told local media Wednesday, after the stringent new plan had been been written into its charter. Swimmers will have to sign a letter of oath stating they'll abide by these new rules.
Fashion forward rule-breakers face being booted off the team and sent home in disgrace, a suspension of up to five years or even a lifetime ban.
This is the latest in a recent string of beauty bans - Tajikistan just banned beards for teachers under 50.