Ariarne Titmus calls the Novig ad "a kick in the face" to women in sport
Ariarne TitmusRetired Olympic swimmer; four-time Olympic gold medallist
Ariarne Titmus condemned the Novig ad on Instagram as sexualizing women’s sport and monetizing a woman’s body.
Responding to
The Novig "Just Sports" ad campaign sexualizes women’s sport and demeans the work of women who compete in it, rather than showcasing athletic skill.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellent, unity... How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Novig, a U.S. sports prediction market in which Sydney Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder, released a "Just Sports" ad campaign on September 9, 2026, in which Sweeney appears nude or minimally clothed while covering herself with sports equipment. The ad drew public criticism from a number of female athletes, who said it sexualizes women’s sport; Novig’s CEO and at least one columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The Guardian’s report on the athlete-led backlash, directly quoting Ariarne Titmus’s Instagram Story and Skye Nicolson’s Instagram post.
Before the quotation
Posted to Instagram Stories as the athlete-led backlash against the ad was building over the weekend of September 13–14, 2026.
After the quotation
The quote was independently reported and corroborated by The Guardian and CBC (via ABC News Australia).
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Titmus expressly denounces the campaign as sexualizing women’s sport and monetizing a woman’s body, calling it a "kick in the face" to women in sport, with no qualifying condition.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Novig, Sydney Sweeney
More from this case
Read the full caseJones and co-authors criticize sexualization and gambling appeals in Novig's ad
“The ad captures two troubling trends: how routinely women’s bodies are sexualized in digital media and how gambling companies use sexual appeal, and the implied promise of romantic or sexual reward, to target young men.”Read statement
Fortinsky renews his defense of Novig's Sweeney ad
“Ultimately, I think we have nothing to apologize for and are very proud of the work that we did,”Read statement
Calkins defends the ad as sex-appeal marketing
“It was an ad that used sex appeal to catch the eye of a mostly-male market — not a "kick in the face" to female athletes, as four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus suggested.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Ariarne Titmus calls the Novig ad "a kick in the face" to women in sport
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/700-ariarne-titmus-condemned-the-novig-ad-on-instagram
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Ariarne Titmus calls the Novig ad "a kick in the face" to women in sport". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/700-ariarne-titmus-condemned-the-novig-ad-on-instagram