‘Infuriated’ female athletes slam Sydney Sweeney for ‘sexualising’ women’s sport in x-rated ad

Female athletes have been speaking out and criticising Sydney Sweeney for “over-sexualising” women’s sports in her “backwards” Novig ad.

She is in the middle of a huge controversy once again for a new campaign she’s done with sports betting app Novig, where she strips down and poses nude with various sports equipment like footballs, basketballs and a hockey net. The campaign is called “Just Sports,”  and is trying to spread the message that the app is purpose-built just for sports, yet it’s completely sexualising women in the field. 

Lots of Olympians and sportswomen have slammed the campaign on social media for being disrespectful and damaging to female athletes across the world. 

Credit: Novig

Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus wrote on Instagram: “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity. How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”

In an interview with the BBC after completing a race in Budapest, Hungary, British sprinter Amy Hunt said: “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.”

British Olympic cycling gold medallist Sophie Capewell added: “Imagine a world where sexualised representation isn’t the most popular way of seeing women in sport.”

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A post shared by Sophie Capewell MBE (@sophieecapewell)

Former US gymnast Gracie Kramer has also spoken out. She said: “This ad is honestly infuriating. I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualised, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.”

“So to see women’s sports once again being marketed through the male gaze feels like a massive step backwards. We should not have to take our clothes off to convince men that women belong in sports, or that we’re only worth watching if we’re showing enough skin. And if you still don’t think it’s that deep, I invite you to do your best to empathise with every female athlete who has had to compete while simultaneously being objectified on the court, disrespected on the field, and oversexualised in the media.”

In an indirect response to the backlash, Sweeney shared photos of famous female athletes who have posed naked on her Instagram story, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey and Sue Bird. How about an apology instead?