Amy Hunt Criticizes Sydney Sweeney’s Novig Sports Ad

British sprinter Amy Hunt criticized Sydney Sweeney’s revealing advertisement for sports prediction platform Novig, telling the actor after a race in Budapest, “This is what women in sport look like.”

Hunt made the remarks to BBC Sport after finishing fourth in the women’s 200-meter final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said. “21.4. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears. This is a beautiful evening.”

Hunt’s “21.4” reference concerned Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s winning performance. World Athletics recorded the official winning time as 21.47 seconds. Hunt finished in a season-best 22.10.

Hunt also described the physical realities of competing as a woman. She said women’s sports are not always pretty, glamorous or sexy and noted that her period had started the day before the race.

Hunt is the reigning European champion in the 100 and 200 meters. European Athletics’ 100-meter report recorded her first individual victory, while its 200-meter report documented her completion of the sprint double.

The Novig advertisement features Sweeney wearing little or no clothing, with sports equipment covering parts of her body. Several female athletes criticized the campaign as sexualizing women in sports.

Former UCLA gymnast Gracie Kramer posted competition footage with the caption: “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”

Kramer was not an Olympic gymnast. Her UCLA biography lists her as a two-time first-team All-American on floor exercise and a member of UCLA’s 2018 NCAA championship team.

Australian boxer Skye Nicolson also addressed the campaign.

“There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to using sex to sell ‘sport,’” Nicolson wrote on Instagram.

Sweeney, 29, has not directly addressed the athletes’ criticism. In what appeared to be an indirect response, the “Euphoria” actor shared covers from ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue on Instagram Stories, including images of Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe.

She did not explain the reason for sharing them.