Sydney Sweeney faces backlash from athletes over nude sports betting ad

Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash from athletes and sports fans after appearing in a commercial for a U.S. betting platform wearing minimal to no clothing. In it, she is seen posing with various sports equipment and sitting naked on top of a basketball hoop.

The advertisement for prediction market company Novig has been widely criticized for sexualizing women’s sports and trivializing the work female athletes put in to reach the pinnacle of their professions.

Australian swimmer and four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus, who announced her retirement last year, called the content out in an Instagram story, saying it was “a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft,” and to “every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is, teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence,” according to a BBC report .

U.S. gymnast and NCAA champion Gracie Kramer also responded to Sweeney’s advertisement by posting a reel on Instagram showing her training and competing with the caption “idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”

Kramer’s post sparked a trend among elite female athletes, many of whom used her format to showcase their training regimens and intense competition.

Australian Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister posted a video of her training in the pool and at the gym, showcasing several medals she has won across multiple distances.

This summer, at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Pallister broke 14-time Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky’s 14-year record in the 800-metre freestyle with a time of 8 minutes, 6.10 seconds.

British sprinter and four-time European champion Amy Hunt addressed the Euphoria actress directly after competing at an athletics showcase on Sunday evening. “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt told BBC Sport.

“When you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty. It’s not glamorous.