Ariarne Titmus
Role at the time: Retired Olympic swimmer; four-time Olympic gold medallist
Condemned
Response to this claim
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?”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sydney Sweeney under fire for ‘sexualising women’s sport’ in sports prediction ad
The Guardian’s report on the athlete-led backlash, directly quoting Ariarne Titmus’s Instagram Story and Skye Nicolson’s Instagram post.
Why we used 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.