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Olympic athletes have come out in force to condemn a sports betting advert featuring actor Sydney Sweeney in various states of undress, while showcasing the real skill, strength and beauty of women’s sport.
The campaign, for US sports prediction market company Novig, depicts Sweeney in minimal to no clothing while she pretends to play several different sports.
It has been widely criticised for sexualising women’s sport, with retired Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus saying she thought this type of “bullshit” marketing was a thing of the past.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” the four-time Olympic gold medallist wrote on Instagram.
“Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellent, unity …
“How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
The response from athletes has been swift, not only to denounce the ad but to use it as an opportunity to highlight the excellence of women’s sport.
Taking inspiration from American gymnast Gracie Kramer, who kickstarted a trend of responses centred around her line “this is what a woman in sport looks like”, Australian Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister shared an Instagram video of her training regime, races and medals.
Track sprinter Bree Rizzo also posted a highlights reel of her career on the track while the Australian Institute of Sport’s version featured archery, gymnastics, boxing, softball, and a peak behind the scenes at women’s sport science in action.
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Water polo silver medallist Tilly Kearns wrote, “I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad”, while world champion boxer Skye Nicolson said the backlash was about making a “mockery” of women in sport rather than judging how women look.
“There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to use sex to sell ‘sport’,” she wrote in an Instagram story.
“There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete.”
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While some social media users suggested anger should be directed at Novig rather than Sweeney, the actor is not just the face of the campaign, having joined as “strategic partner and equity holder”, according to a Novig statement.
Novig and Sweeney are the beneficiaries of the attention, which is similar to the outrage caused by American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” campaign in 2025.
That campaign was heavily criticised for appearing to use the language of eugenics, with Sweeney saying in a now-deleted video: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Several months after the ad’s release, the actor acknowledged her silence on the controversy had only “widened the divide”.
“I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” she said. “I’m against hate and divisiveness.”
