Skye Nicolson
Role at the time: Professional boxer; world champion
Challenged the characterization
Statement summary
Skye Nicolson argued the objection to the Novig ad is about using sex to sell sport, not about athletes looking attractive.
“There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to use sex to sell ‘sport’. There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete.”
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
Nicolson distinguishes "looking sexy because you do sport" from "using sex to sell sport," disputing how the ad’s critics and defenders alike are framing the issue rather than issuing a blanket condemnation or defense.