‘Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like’: female athletes lead backlash against viral advert

British sprinter Amy Hunt and Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus have called out Sydney Sweeney for her provocative advert. Composite: Guardian Picture Desk

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.”