Sydney Sweeney's Sports Betting Ad Branded 'A Kick in the Face' by Olympic Champion Ariarne Titmus

Sydney Sweeney is facing a growing backlash from Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and other elite athletes over a Novig campaign in which the actor appears naked or minimally clothed with sporting equipment, with Titmus calling the advert 'a kick in the face' to women who have devoted their lives to competitive sport.

The campaign has prompted a response from athletes across several disciplines, with competitors posting training footage, race clips and medal-winning moments online. They have criticised the advert as sexualising women's sport, while some social-media users have argued that Novig, which created the campaign, should receive the main criticism.

Novig describes itself as a US sports prediction-market platform and announced Sweeney as a 'strategic partner and equity holder' on 9 September. The company said the 'Just Sports' campaign was intended to promote its platform's focus on sports markets.

Ariarne Titmus Criticises Novig Campaign

Titmus, a retired Australian swimmer and four-time Olympic gold medallist, said she was 'infuriated' after seeing the Sydney Sweeney Novig advert. The campaign shows Sweeney in various states of undress while mimicking participation in several sports.

'I can't describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,' Titmus wrote on Instagram. She said it was 'a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft'.

Titmus said the advert also overlooked people who value sport for 'teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence [and] unity'. She asked why 'monetising a woman's body and sexualising women's sport is still a thing'. Her comments were part of a wider response from Olympians, world champions and other elite competitors.

Amy Hunt's 200m Response

British sprinter Amy Hunt addressed Sweeney after running a season's best 22.10 seconds to finish fourth in the women's 200m final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won in 21.47 seconds, the fourth-fastest women's 200m performance in history.

'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,' Hunt said in a post-race interview. Referring to Jefferson-Wooden's time, she added: '21.4. Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears. This is a beautiful evening.'

Hunt later said women's sport was not always 'pretty', 'glamorous' or 'sexy'. Her comments emphasised the physical demands and pressure of elite competition.

American gymnast Gracie Kramer helped begin a related social-media trend by sharing a training montage with the line: 'I don't know what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sport looks like.'

Australian Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister then posted footage of her training, races and medals, while Australian sprinter Bree Rizzo, formerly known as Bree Masters, shared career highlights.

Athletes Share Sporting Achievements

The Australian Institute of Sport also posted a video featuring archery, gymnastics, boxing, softball and women's sport science.

Water polo silver medallist Tilly Kearns and world champion boxer Skye Nicolson were among other athletes to respond.

Kearns wrote: 'I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney's new sports ad.' Nicolson said the criticism concerned the use of sex to market sport, rather than women being judged for their appearance.

'There's a big difference between looking "sexy" because you do sport compared to use sex to sell "sport",' Nicolson wrote. She added that there was 'nothing wrong' with embracing femininity while also being 'a badass athlete'.

Sweeney and Novig Defend 'Just Sports' Campaign

Sweeney subsequently appeared to respond through Instagram Stories by sharing images from ESPN's Body Issue featuring athletes who had posed nude. She did not appear to name Titmus or directly address the criticism in accompanying text, according to reports by The Daily Beast and Page Six.

Novig said the campaign was built around 'a fun idea', while Sweeney said its aim was to 'cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports'. The company's chief executive, Jacob Fortinsky, said Novig's platform was designed exclusively for sports fans.

The dispute centres on competing interpretations of the campaign. Athletes have criticised its depiction of women's sport, while Novig and Sweeney have described it as a playful effort to market a sports-focused prediction platform.