Disputes concerning how women athletes and women’s sport are portrayed, marketed, or discussed publicly.
Published coverage on this page: 1 case · 2 statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
Sydney Sweeney, an equity holder in sports-prediction platform Novig, starred in a nude ad campaign that female athletes say sexualizes women's sport. Novig's CEO and a Guardian columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Published
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2 matching statements
Role at the time: Columnist, The Guardian
Statement summary
Guardian columnist Marina Hyde argued in a signed opinion column that the backlash against the Novig ad is disproportionate.
“Come on. With respect, I just don’t think it’s a kick in the face for any of those things... I can’t help feeling it would have been cooler for women’s sport to simply not even mention the naked gambling ad at all.”
What this label refers to
Hyde’s signed column directly disputes Titmus’s "kick in the face" characterization and argues the backlash is disproportionate, challenging how the ad has been characterized rather than defending its content on the merits.
Role at the time: Professional boxer; world champion
Statement summary
Skye Nicolson argued the objection to the Novig ad is about using sex to sell sport, not about athletes looking attractive.
Quotation excerpt
“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…”
“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.”
What this label refers to
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.
Co-founder and CEO of Novig, a U.S. sports prediction market.
1 case and 1 statement
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist and co-host of The Rest Is Entertainment.
1 case and 1 statement
Canadian high diver.
1 case and 1 statement
Australian professional boxer; world champion.
1 case and 1 statement
Canadian alpine skier and 2026 Winter Olympian.
1 case and 1 statement
American gymnast.
1 case and 1 statement
British sprinter; four-time European champion.
1 case and 1 statement
Retired Australian Olympic swimmer; four-time Olympic gold medallist.
1 case and 1 statement
Actor. In September 2026 she starred in and joined as a strategic partner and equity holder of Novig, a sports prediction market, for its "Just Sports" ad campaign.
1 case and 1 statement
