British track star Amy Hunt has voiced her criticism of actress Sydney Sweeney's recent nude advertisement for the betting platform Novig. Sweeney's ad, which features her posing nude while strategically covered by sports equipment, has sparked a debate about the sexualization of women's sports.
Following her fourth-place finish in the 200m race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, Hunt directly addressed the controversy. "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women's sport looks like!" Hunt stated, looking at the camera. She elaborated that women's sports are defined by "hard work, sweat, blood, tears," emphasizing the athletic dedication involved.
Hunt is among a number of female athletes who have spoken out against the advertisement. Australian Olympian Matilda Kearns shared a video montage on Instagram, expressing her strong disapproval and contrasting Sweeney's ad with footage of her water polo team. Ex-Olympic runner Hannah Williams also shared a clip of sprinters, stating, "This is women in sports btw." She called the ad a "disgrace" to women in sports who are striving for respect in male-dominated fields.
Olympic weightlifting coach Danielle Bagacay highlighted the ongoing issue of sexualization, noting that it disproportionately focuses on physical appearance rather than athletic achievements. She stated her mission as a coach is to empower athletes by focusing on their ability and performance, rather than their appearance or weight.
Fitness influencer Angela Everington also weighed in, suggesting that Sweeney's platform could have been used to showcase the capabilities of the body rather than sexualizing it. She pointed to statistics indicating that body image concerns contribute to teenage girls dropping out of sports.
However, not all reactions were critical. Some online commenters defended Sweeney, with one suggesting that critics were motivated by jealousy and another asking, "What ever happened to women supporting women?"
Novig founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky explained that Sweeney chose to appear nude in the campaign because she was uncomfortable with other platforms that allowed betting on topics like "what colour underwear I'm going to wear." Sweeney, who holds an equity stake in Novig, reportedly felt that the platform's focus on sports predictions was "clean."
In response to the backlash, Sweeney shared a series of Instagram Stories highlighting instances where male and female athletes, including Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, and Myles Garrett, have posed nude for various media. She used these examples to defend her decision and challenge her critics.