In an authoritative intelligence dispatch verified through The Guardian Sport, significant international developments have emerged regarding ‘Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like’: female athletes spark backlash against viral advert. Observers across key diplomatic, corporate, and policy corridors are actively parsing the immediate impact, as corroborated by verified wire filings. American actor accused of sexualising women’s sports British sprinter Amy Hunt leads storm of protest The US actor Sydney Sweeney is facing a backlash from female Olympians and other athletes, who have accused her of demeaning and sexualising women’s sports by appearing in a controversial advert for a sports prediction company. In the viral commercial for Novig, which was viewed more than 22 million times in the first two days of its release, Sweeney’s nude body is covered by footballs, basketballs, and other sports equipment, as she tells users they can bet on “just sports”. After saying “sports” nine times, she appears topless on a pool table, before saying: “You can’t trade this, I just look good here.” Continue reading... Close dialogue1/2Next imagePrevious imageToggle captionPrint subscriptionsSearch jobs Sign indocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () { /** The checkbox input element used to toggle the navigation menu. */ const navInputCheckbox = document.getElementById('header-nav-input-checkbox'); /** The veggie burger button element used to open/close the menu. */ const veggieBurger = document.getElementById('header-veggie-burger'); /** List of menu items that should be selectable when the menu is open. */ const expandedMenuClickableTags = document.querySelectorAll( '.selectableMenuItem', ); /** The root element of the expanded menu. */ const expandedMenu = document.getElementById('header-expanded-menu-root'); /** The label for the first column in the menu, assumed to be "News".*/ const firstColLabel = document.getElementById('News-button'); /** The link element in the second list item under news links. */ const firstColLink = document.querySelector( '#newsLinks > li:nth-of-type(2) > a', ); /** * Focuses on the first navigation element depending on whether the first column label is visible. * * If the first column label is not visible, the function focuses on the first link element. * Otherwise, it focuses on the first column label. */ const focusOnFirstNavElement = () => { if (window.getComputedStyle(firstColLabel).display === 'none') { firstColLink.focus(); } else { firstColLabel.focus(); } }; /** * Updates ARIA attributes and tabindex values based on whether the menu is open or closed. */ const updateAttributesForMenu = (isOpen) => { firstColLabel.setAttribute('aria-expanded', isOpen ? 'true' : 'false'); veggieBurger.setAttribute( 'data-link-name', isOpen ? 'header : veggie-burger : hide' : 'header : veggie-burger : show', ); expandedMenuClickableTags.forEach((tag) => { tag.setAttribute('tabindex', isOpen ? '0' : '-1'); }); }; /** Toggles the navigation menu by simulating a click on the checkbox. */ const toggleMainMenu = () => { if (navInputCheckbox) { navInputCheckbox.click(); } }; /** * Handles keydown events to toggle the menu when the Enter or Space key is pressed. */ const keydownToggleMainMenu = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') { e.preventDefault(); toggleMainMenu(); } }; /** * Handles click events to manage the state of the navigation menu. * * - Toggles the menu open/close state when the menu button (veggieBurger) is clicked. */ const handleMenuClick = (e) => { const menuButtonClicked = navInputCheckbox === e.target; const clickInsideMenu = expandedMenu.contains(e.target); const menuIsOpen = navInputCheckbox.checked if (menuButtonClicked && !menuIsOpen) { document.body.classList.toggle('nav-is-open') firstColLabel.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false') veggieBurger.setAttribute('data-link-name','header : veggie-burger : show') expandedMenuClickableTags.forEach(function($selectableElement){ $selectableElement.setAttribute('tabindex','-1') }) } else if (menuButtonClicked && menuIsOpen) { document.body.classList.toggle('nav-is-open') firstColLabel.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'true') veggieBurger.setAttribute('data-link-name','header : veggie-burger : hide') expandedMenuClickableTags.forEach(function($selectableElement){ $selectableElement.setAttribute('tabindex','0') }) focusOnFirstNavElement() } }; /** Adds event listeners to manage the navigation menu. */ if (navInputCheckbox) { navInputCheckbox.addEventListener('click', handleMenuClick); veggieBurger.addEventListener('keydown', keydownToggleMainMenu); document.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape' && navInputCheckbox.checked) { toggleMainMenu(); veggieBurger.focus(); } }); /** * Handles mouse down events to manage the state of the navigation menu. * * - Closes the menu if the click occurs outside both the menu button and the expanded menu. */ document.addEventListener('mousedown', function(e){ if(navInputCheckbox.checked && !expandedMenu.contains(e.target) && !veggieBurger.contains(e.target)){ toggleMainMenu() } }); } });UKUK editionUS editionAustralia editionEurope editionInternational editionThe Guardian - Back to homeThe GuardianNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShow moreHide expanded menudocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(){ var columnInput = document.getElementById('News-button'); if (!columnInput) return; // Sticky nav replaces the nav so element no longer exists for users in test. columnInput.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ // keyCode: 13 => Enter key | keyCode: 32 => Space key if (e.keyCode === 13 || e.keyCode === 32) { e.preventDefault() document.getElementById('News-checkbox-input').click(); } }) })NewsView all NewsUK newsUS politicsWorld newsClimate crisisMiddle EastUkraineFootballNewslettersBusinessEnvironmentUK politicsScienceTechGlobal developmentObituariesdocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(){ var columnInput = document.getElementById('Opinion-button'); if (!columnInput) return; // Sticky nav replaces the nav so element no longer exists for users in test. columnInput.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ // keyCode: 13 => Enter key | keyCode: 32 => Space key if (e.keyCode === 13 || e.keyCode === 32) { e.preventDefault() document.getElementById('Opinion-checkbox-input').click(); } }) })OpinionView all OpinionThe Guardian viewColumnistsCartoonsOpinion videosLettersdocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(){ var columnInput = document.getElementById('Sport-button'); if (!columnInput) return; // Sticky nav replaces the nav so element no longer exists for users in test. columnInput.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ // keyCode: 13 => Enter key | keyCode: 32 => Space key if (e.keyCode === 13 || e.keyCode === 32) { e.preventDefault() document.getElementById('Sport-checkbox-input').click(); } }) })SportView all SportFootballCricketRugby unionTennisCyclingF1GolfBoxingRugby leagueRacingUS sportsdocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(){ var columnInput = document.getElementById('Culture-button'); if (!columnInput) return; // Sticky nav replaces the nav so element no longer exists for users in test. columnInput.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ // keyCode: 13 => Enter key | keyCode: 32 => Space key if (e.keyCode === 13 || e.keyCode === 32) { e.preventDefault() document.getElementById('Culture-checkbox-input').click(); } }) })CultureView all CultureFilmMusicTV & radioBooksArt & designStageGamesClassicaldocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(){ var columnInput = document.getElementById('Lifestyle-button'); if (!columnInput) return; // Sticky nav replaces the nav so element no longer exists for users in test. columnInput.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ // keyCode: 13 => Enter key | keyCode: 32 => Space key if (e.keyCode === 13 || e.keyCode === 32) { e.preventDefault() document.getElementById('Lifestyle-checkbox-input').click(); } }) })LifestyleView all LifestyleThe FilterFashionFoodRecipesTravelHealth & fitnessWomenMenLove & sexBeautyHome & gardenMoneyCarsSearch input google-search SearchSupport usPrint subscriptionsSearch jobsHire with Guardian JobsHolidaysLive eventsAbout UsDigital ArchiveGuardian Print ShopPatronsGuardian LicensingThe Guardian appVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday's paperInside the GuardianGuardian WeeklyCrosswordsWordiplyCorrectionsTipsSearch input google-search SearchSearch jobsHire with Guardian JobsHolidaysLive eventsAbout UsDigital ArchiveGuardian Print ShopPatronsGuardian LicensingFootballCricketRugby unionTennisCyclingF1GolfBoxingRugby leagueRacingUS sports British sprinter Amy Hunt and Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus have called out Sydney Sweeney for her provocative advert. Composite: Guardian Picture DeskView image in fullscreenBritish sprinter Amy Hunt and Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus have called out Sydney Sweeney for her provocative advert. Composite: Guardian Picture DeskSport‘Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like’: female athletes spark backlash against viral advertAmerican actor accused of sexualising women’s sports Prefer the Guardian on GoogleThe US actor Sydney Sweeney is facing a backlash from female Olympians and other athletes, who have accused her of demeaning and sexualising women’s sports by appearing in a controversial advert for a sports prediction company. In the viral commercial for Novig, which was viewed more than 22 million times in the first two days of its release, Sweeney’s nude body is covered by footballs, basketballs, and other sports equipment, as she tells users they can bet on “just sports”. After saying “sports” nine times, she appears topless on a pool table, before saying: “You can’t trade this, I just look good here.” Read moreThe advert has led to a storm of protest led by the British sprinter Amy Hunt, who won four European championship gold medals last month. After finishing fourth in the 200m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday evening, Hunt said: “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like: 21.4. Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears. This is a beautiful evening.” That was a reference to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s winning time of 21.47 seconds, the fourth-fastest women’s 200m, and Hunt went on to reveal the painful realities she and other sports stars faced. “When you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty,” she said. “It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy all the time, definitely. “There’s some low moments. Even turning up to this championship, my period started yesterday, so that’s not really ideal, and that’s not ever what you try to really plan for.” The British Olympic cycling gold medallist Sophie Capewell was also deeply critical of the advert. “Imagine a world where sexualised representation isn’t the most popular way of seeing women in sport,” Capewell said on social media. In Australia, there was also widespread fury with the four-time Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus leading the charge. “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” she wrote. “Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity.
The underlying catalysts behind these events trace back to evolving structural dynamics across the Sports landscape. Over recent quarters, multilateral authorities and market participants have navigated mounting volatility, heightening the urgency of coordinated responses and policy alignment.
Senior analysts and industry stakeholders underscore that strategic transparency remains paramount. As institutional delegations evaluate risk models and operational contingencies, secondary dispatches indicate that further compliance directives and consultative reviews will be initiated in the coming cycle.
Broader economic and regulatory ramifications are projected to ripple across interconnected regional ecosystems. Market analysts note that supply chains, capital allocations, and policy frameworks must swiftly assimilate these verified updates to insulate against systemic bottlenecks.
The Global Post's editorial desk will continue rigorous monitoring of this developing story, with periodic updates provided as official statements and primary documentation are released by relevant governing bodies.