British athletics star Amy Hunt has stressed the urgent need for positive role models in sport, warning that Sydney Sweeney’s controversial betting advertisement could act as a deterrent for young girls. The backlash against the campaign by Novig, which features the Euphoria actress in minimal clothing posing with sports equipment, has drawn sharp criticism from the female sporting community.
Hunt, who recently finished fourth in the 200m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, confronted the Hollywood star directly online. She posted images of her own athletic physique with the caption: “This is what women in sport look like.”
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Hunt highlighted the importance of shifting the focus from appearance to athletic capability. She pointed to concerning statistics indicating that 64% of young girls cease participating in exercise and sport before turning 16. Hunt argued that imagery objectifying female athletes could create unnecessary obstacles for this demographic.
“We want to show that it’s about what your body can do, not so much what it looks like,” Hunt said. “We don’t need to place any kind of barrier whatsoever in their way… It’s about empowering young girls and young women to show that you really can just get out there and you don’t have to worry about what you look like.”
The British sprinter also addressed the unglamorous realities of elite competition, noting that sport is often far from pretty. She shared that her own journey involves moments of vomiting after intense sessions or crying post-training, emphasizing that the pursuit of excellence requires grit rather than aesthetic appeal.
Hunt was joined in her condemnation by other prominent athletes. Former US Olympic gymnast Gracie Kramer shared a video of herself competing with the message, “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sport looks like.” Similarly, Australian boxer Skye Nicolson took to Instagram to distinguish between looking sexy while playing sport and using sex to sell a sporting product.
In response to the criticism, Sweeney posted images from ESPN Magazine’s BODY Issue to her Instagram stories, which included nude photographs of renowned athletes such as Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe.
Despite the initial controversy, Hunt believes the outcry has ultimately benefited the visibility of women’s athletics. She noted that the positive response from fellow athletes has overshadowed the advert itself, transforming the narrative into a celebration of female sports figures.
“The reaction has almost outweighed the moment because the first thing I saw was all of the positive compilations of women in sport,” Hunt explained. She clarified that the issue was not personal against Sweeney, but rather a concern about the intention behind the advertising strategy.
Honestly, the backlash only made me look up more about women’s athletics. Silver linings everywhere, I suppose.
I found it interesting that Hunt mentioned vomiting after training. People forget the ugly reality behind elite performance sometimes.
Is it just me, or does this feel like the same tired marketing tactic from the nineties? We deserve better role models now.
Wait, did Novig actually hire Sydney Sweeney for this? That seems like a massive miss on target audience demographics.
Amy Hunt is absolutely right. Showing athletes as sex objects, not competitors, pushes so many girls away from sports entirely.