Amy Hunt: "This is what women in sport look like"
Amy HuntBritish sprinter; four-time European champion
Amy Hunt told the BBC after a race that the Novig ad does not reflect what women in sport actually look like.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like... when you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty. It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy all the time, definitely.”
Reporting
Other statements by Amy Hunt in this case
- Hunt softens her framing, says the reaction "has almost outweighed the moment"Later: Mixed or conditional
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
ESPN report quoting Amy Hunt’s Good Morning Britain interview about the ad, including her caveat that her criticism is not personal toward Sweeney.
Before the quotation
Said in a post-race interview after finishing fourth in the 200m final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on September 13, 2026.
After the quotation
Hunt gave a further, more extended interview on Good Morning Britain on September 15, 2026, reiterating the concern in terms of role models for young girls.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Hunt directly contrasts the ad’s portrayal with what she says women in sport actually look like ("muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears"), condemning the ad’s depiction. She separately notes the criticism "isn’t anything personal" toward Sweeney as an individual, which qualifies any personal animus toward Sweeney but does not soften her criticism of the ad’s portrayal itself.
- 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
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Amy Hunt: "This is what women in sport look like"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/701-amy-hunt-told-the-bbc-after-a-race
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Amy Hunt: "This is what women in sport look like"". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/701-amy-hunt-told-the-bbc-after-a-race