Female Athletes Criticize Sydney Sweeney Sports Betting Advertisement

Several female athletes have spoken out against a new sports betting advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The advert depicts Sweeney naked while using various pieces of sporting equipment to cover parts of her body. British sprinter Amy Hunt, who recently won four gold medals at the European Championships, described the ad as a potential barrier for girls entering sport. Hunt argued that role models for young women should emphasize what the body can do rather than how it looks, noting that 64 percent of young girls drop out of exercise and sport before age 16.

Other female athletes have characterized the representation as demeaning to women's sport and a sexualized depiction of athletes. In response to the ad, some athletes have shared images and messages intended to show what women in sport actually look like.

Perspectives on the controversy vary based on political framing. Center left and center sources focus on the athletes' concerns regarding the sexualization of sport and the impact on young girls. Conversely, a center left opinion piece framed the backlash as an overreaction by reflexively judgmental people. This perspective argued that the strength of modern women's sport makes the ad irrelevant and suggested that the gambling aspect of the advertisement is a more significant issue than the actress's appearance.