Athletes revolt against Sweeney's ad

British sprinter Amy Hunt joined a growing number of female athletes who have criticized a viral sports gambling advertisement starring actress Sydney Sweeney for depicting women's athletic achievements as purely sexualized. The ad, titled "Just Sports," featured Sweeney nude while using sports equipment to cover her body, sparking outrage from the women's sports community.

Hunt, a four-time European champion, addressed the issue after finishing fourth in the women's 200m final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, calling the ad "Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears. This is a beautiful evening."

The advertisement, known as "Just Sports," was produced for the American sports-prediction platform Novig, where Sweeney reportedly has an equity stake as a strategic partner. In the ad, Sweeney is shown playing various sports while mostly nude, repeatedly saying "sports" and making comments about looking good. The backlash against the ad has spread beyond track and field, with athletes from multiple disciplines sharing their own reactions on social media, including four-time Olympic diving medallist Kassidy Cook and Australian swimming champion Ariarne Titmus.

Sweeney has not directly addressed the criticism but posted a series of photographs on social media showing other athletes who had posed in minimal clothing, seemingly suggesting hypocrisy. She included images of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, NFL player Myles Garrett, and basketball player Karl-Anthony Towns, likely referencing ESPN The Magazine's annual nude athlete photography feature, which ran from 2009 to 2019 before ending its print run.