Amy Hunt has voiced serious concerns that Sydney Sweeney's provocative betting commercial could act as an obstacle for young girls who are considering taking up sport. The advertisement, created for the U.S.
betting firm Novig, showcases the Euphoria actress draped scantily in sports gear, a visual that has sparked a wave of criticism from women athletes and supporters of female sport. Hunt, fresh from a fourth‑place finish in the 200‑metre race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, responded directly to the actress, reminding her that "this is what women in sport look like" when they are focused on performance rather than presentation.
During an interview on Good Morning Britain, Hunt emphasized that role models for aspiring athletes should highlight what a body can achieve, not merely how it appears. She pointed out that statistics reveal roughly 64 percent of girls abandon regular exercise and organized sport before they turn 16. "We cannot afford to add any further barriers," she said, "whether those barriers are visual, cultural or commercial.
Young women need to see that they can engage in sport in any form that suits them – from elite competition to a casual ParkRun with friends." Hunt argued that empowerment comes from encouraging girls to participate without the pressure of looking a certain way or wearing particular clothing. "Sport isn’t about looking pretty," she asserted. "It’s about pushing your limits, dealing with the messiness of training – the moments when you feel like throwing up on the track or crying after a hard session.
Those raw experiences are part of what makes striving for excellence so powerful." She noted that the pursuit of elite performance is inherently challenging and often far from glamorous, but that very difficulty is what makes it inspiring. "When you see athletes confronting hardship, you understand that greatness isn’t about a glossy image; it’s about resilience, dedication, and the willingness to be the best version of yourself," Hunt explained. Hunt was not the only athlete to denounce the ad. Former U.S.
Olympic gymnast Gracie Kramer posted a video of herself competing, captioning it, "Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sport looks like." Australian boxing champion Skye Nicolson added a comment on Instagram, drawing a clear line between looking "sexy" as a natural by‑product of athletic achievement and using sexuality as a marketing tool to sell sport. In what appeared to be a defensive maneuver, Sweeney shared a series of images from ESPN Magazine’s BODY Issue on her Instagram Stories. Those images featured celebrated athletes such as Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe in artistic nude poses, perhaps an attempt to re‑contextualise the conversation around body positivity and the celebration of athletic form.
Despite the initial uproar, Hunt believes the collective response from women in sport has turned the tide, shifting the narrative away from the controversy and toward a broader celebration of female athleticism. "The reaction has almost outweighed the moment itself," she said.
"The first thing I saw were the positive compilations of women in sport – athletes sharing their stories, their struggles, their triumphs." She added that the discussion has evolved beyond a personal attack on Sweeney and is now focused on intent and impact. "It’s less about the actress and more about the intention behind the imagery," Hunt noted. "The conversation has moved into a different spin, allowing us to highlight a range of initiatives that celebrate women’s sport, from grassroots programs to high‑profile campaigns that showcase real athletes doing real work." The incident underscores a broader debate about how female athletes are represented in media and advertising.
While some argue that any visibility can be beneficial, many athletes, like Hunt, maintain that the quality of that visibility matters. They advocate for portrayals that emphasize skill, dedication, and the authentic experiences of women in sport, rather than reducing them to eye‑catching visuals meant to sell unrelated products.
In the wake of the backlash, several sports organisations have reiterated their commitment to promoting authentic role models. They are launching campaigns that feature athletes discussing training regimens, mental health challenges, and the day‑to‑day realities of balancing sport with other life commitments. These efforts aim to provide young girls with relatable figures who demonstrate that success in sport is rooted in perseverance, not appearance. Hunt’s stance reflects a growing movement within the sporting community that seeks to protect the integrity of female athletic representation.
By calling for role models who embody the true spirit of competition, she hopes to inspire a new generation of girls to stay active, stay confident, and stay focused on what their bodies can achieve, rather than how they are perceived by the outside world. The conversation sparked by Sweeney’s advert may have been contentious, but it has also ignited a valuable dialogue about empowerment, representation, and the future of women’s sport.