That Sydney Sweeney Advert: What Does it Mean to Our Female Athletes?

A recent advertisement for Novig, a sports prediction market, has sparked debate worldwide.

The advertisement depicts Sydney Sweeney nude in a sports-themed montage, covered by sporting equipment, with the tagline “just sports.” But for many female athletes, it is much more than “just sports.” The advert raises concerns on the objectification and sexualisation of women in sport.

The Saint spoke with the University’s top athletes about the advert.

Hannah Coull, the Women’s 1st XI Hockey Captain, said the ad’s marketing technique tells young women that their value in sport lies in their appearance, rather than their achievements. “Unfortunately, now the phrase ‘women in sport’ might be associated with this marketing disaster, and not the amazing female athletes all over the world who will inspire the next generation of girls.” 

Coull emphasises that “as a team, we show up to train hard, and put our bodies through a lot of stress to succeed in a competitive environment.” It is these attributes which “should really be publicised.” 

Women’s appearances have repeatedly overshadowed athletic performance. During the 2021 European Beach Handball Championships, for example, the Norwegian women’s team was fined for wearing shorts over mandatory bikini bottoms. 

Stella Lucano, a Sports Scholar on the Netball 1s who captained the team last season and coaches the 3s, described her reaction as disappointment, but not surprise. 

Growing up in sport, she is used to “seeing women’s bodies and sexuality used to attract attention in sporting spaces.” Although the advert promotes sports betting rather than sport itself, Lucano argued it remains adjacent to sport. 

Lucano believes the advert affects women fighting to detach themselves from sexualisation in sport, and that the sexuality portrayed is not liberating but instead directed at the male gaze.

When it comes to her sport, Lucano discussed how, as netball is female-dominated, “a lot of times women have to almost overcompensate in their athletic performance in order to be taken seriously.” She says the stigma that athletes are only playing for male attention is deeply rooted in being a female athlete.

Lucano emphasised the need to recognise the team’s demanding training schedule, but also how uplifting and encouraging one another is “something so special about women in sport.” She notes how women’s discouragement in sport needs to be combated by promoting the camaraderie, strength, and dedication that go into sport.

The advert’s views have surged into the millions, demonstrating the scale of attention driven by the controversy. 

Both Coull and Lucano discussed how the online response to the advert has implications. Whilst on one hand it has prompted a discussion about women in sport, Coull shared the team’s view that “giving this advert attention will create the false narrative that it has any connection to female athletes.”

Lucano acknowledged the empowerment in female athletes posting videos on what a woman in sport looks like, but said that the “videos give Sydney Sweeney too much attention.” She says that "videos where instead it’s targeted at just uplifting women in general is a better way of handling it,” without giving the advert more attention. 

The advert has highlighted women’s sport more widely. British sprinter Amy Hunt told Good Morning Britain that the advert could act as a “barrier” to girls’ participation in sport. She highlighted the need to empower young women around what their bodies can do, not just what they look like. 

The controversy surrounding Novig created a much-needed conversation about women in sport. But as Coull and Lucano suggest, redirecting our attention to the accomplishments of female athletes is paramount. Rather than uplifting women only in response to a controversy, we must recognise and empower women in sport always.

Illustration: Tess Barbey