Vilma Böbeck, a Swedish skiff sailer who has a longstanding tradition of matching the color of her nails with the kite sail's colour will hope that this ritual will bring the team Olympic Gold on Thursday.

Bobeck, the Swedish woman's skiff's skipper, usually does her nails herself, but she hired a professional to paint them in the yellow and blue of the Swedish flag.

Bobeck said, "I have won all the medals in my boat with nail polish that matches the kite and matching nails."

The Olympic skiffs have huge kites that are painted in colors of national flags. This adds a colorful twist to their racing as they skim downwind.

Five crews could win gold in the double-points final, including Sweden's women.

Bobeck, her crew Rebecca Netzler, and their goal was to reduce the gap between them and the French and Dutch competitors, respectively in the first and second places, by gaining two bullets in the three races on Wednesday. Reporting by Alexander Smith, Editing by Ken Ferris

(source: Reuters)