The story behind how a British gymnast's unique hair style began

RIO DE JANEIRO — Louis Smith doesn’t call it a man bun. The British gymnast doesn’t call his distinctive hairstyle anything.

The two-time Olympic medalist on pommel horse has long hair on the top that he pulls into what could best be described as a Samurai-style bun, while the bottom 2/3 of his head is cut short.

But in going for convenience, he stumbled into something unique.

Smith had been growing his hair out and didn’t have hair spray in it to keep it out of his face while training one day. He borrowed a hair tie from one of the women in the gym.

“And then I caught myself in a mirror, and I thought, it looks all right,” he said. “So I’ve just been doing this every day. It’s so convenient.

“I get out of the shower, I tie it up, it’s done. Before, I had to condition it. I had to straighten it. I had to hair spray, put it back.”

His commitment to the ‘do has come as a result of wanting to grow his hair out and the practicality of not having to mess with it.

Plus, the gymnast who has become a crossover celebrity in Britain can set himself apart in another way.

“I haven’t seen anyone else with this hairstyle before, and it’s nice to be different,” he said. “It’s kind of who I am. It’s what I’m like with my friends back home. I don’t just follow the crowd. And I can still do my pommel horse routine.”