Australian Olympian Tilly Kearns rejects Sydney Sweeney sports betting ad
Tilly Kearns, a two-time Australian Olympian water polo player, publicly criticised the ad as sexualising women rather than celebrating them in sport.
Sydney Sweeney, a US actress, released a nude ad for Novig, a sports betting platform. In the clip, Sweeney appears naked with only sports equipment covering her.
She promotes the phrase "just sports". Female athletes have responded by posting videos of themselves competing and training.
They argue the ad sexualises women's bodies rather than celebrating women in sport. Tilly Kearns posted clips of herself training with her water polo team and receiving her silver Olympic medal.
She captioned it: "Here's some real women sports content". American gymnast Gracie Kramer posted similar content.
She told NBC that the issue was "so much bigger than Sydney Sweeney", noting that generations of women fought to be respected for their talent, not their bodies. Sweeney responded by sharing photos of other athletes who have posed nude, including Serena Williams and Sue Bird.
- Silver Olympic medal
- Kearns achievement
- Gracie Kramer, American gymnast
- Respondent
- Novig, sports prediction market
- Platform
Why it mattersThe backlash highlights an ongoing tension over how women's sport is framed and who decides its image.
AustraliaAustralian female athletes like Kearns are leading a global conversation about respectful representation in sport.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 10 d ago
