Daily News 19

Tag: Women’s sports

  • Women’s Sports Slam Sydney Sweeney: “It is disrespectful to sexualize bodies for an advertisement”

    Women’s Sports Slam Sydney Sweeney: “It is disrespectful to sexualize bodies for an advertisement”

    Sydney Sweeney, the actress who rose to fame through HBO’s Euphoria and recently starred in the film adaptation of the bestseller The Housemaid, is facing intense criticism from elite female athletes over her latest advertising campaign for a sports betting company. The ads feature Sweeney wearing minimal clothing while mimicking various athletic activities, sparking accusations that the campaign sexualizes women’s sport for the male gaze.

    Olympians and Champions Condemn “Slap in the Face” Marketing

    The backlash began when Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus posted a blunt assessment on social media. She stated:

    “I can’t describe the anger I feel seeing this. It is not only a slap in the face to all the women who have dedicated their lives to perfecting their craft, but to all the women who enjoy sport for what it really is: teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence… I thought this kind of “absurd” marketing was a thing of the past”.

    American gymnast Gracie Kramer amplified the message by posting a training video with the caption: “This is what a woman in sports looks like.” The video triggered a wave of similar posts from athletes across multiple disciplines.

    Wave of Athlete-Led Response Videos

    Australian triathlete Jenna Gwinn shared her own training footage alongside a pointed critique:

    “A woman’s place in the sports industry is as an athlete, reporter, coach…. Not sexualizing bodies for a sports betting ad aimed at men. Women belong in the sports industry without being sexualized”.

    Lani Pallister, Olympic gold medalist in the 4x200m freestyle relay at Paris 2024, posted a compilation of her training, races, and medals with the message:

    “I don’t know what Sydney thinks about sport, but this is what sport looks like.”

    Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns, a silver medalist at the Paris Games, added her voice over match footage:

    “I absolutely hate the new Sydney Sweeney sports ad”

    “Using Sex to Sell Sport” — World Champion Weighs In

    World boxing champion Skye Nicolson articulated a distinction many athletes have emphasized:

    “There is a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you play sports and using sex to sell ‘sport’. […] It is disrespectful to female athletes who dedicate their lives to sport and to the women who have broken barriers for generations, only to then mock it by using a sex symbol with suggestive language and imagery in an ad about sport”.

    Nicolson also noted the paradox of engagement: “giving the advertising campaign exactly what they wanted, but honestly these companies need to do better. Stop sexualizing women in sport”.

    Mexican gymnast Natalia Escalera framed the issue in structural terms:

    “This ad is honestly infuriating. Seeing women’s sports once again being commercialized through the male gaze feels like a huge step backward. We shouldn’t have to take our clothes off to convince men that women belong in sports or that we’re only worth watching if we show enough skin”.

    Sweeney Responds with Historical Athlete Covers

    Sweeney addressed the criticism via her Instagram stories, sharing a series of magazine covers featuring renowned athletes who have posed nude for editorial features. The images included Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Megan Rapinoe, and Myles Garrett, among others.

    The actress has not issued a formal statement beyond the visual response. The betting company behind the campaign has not publicly commented on the athlete-led backlash as of publication.

  • Sophie Cunningham’s Reaction to Simone Biles Draws Attention After Disagreement Over Transgender Athletes

    Sophie Cunningham’s Reaction to Simone Biles Draws Attention After Disagreement Over Transgender Athletes

    Sophie Cunningham’s brief exchange with Simone Biles has drawn widespread attention because the two prominent athletes hold opposing views on transgender participation in women’s sports.

    The Indiana Fever guard met the Olympic gymnastics legend after Indiana defeated the Connecticut Sun 111-91 on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Biles had been greeting several Fever players outside the locker room when Cunningham approached her.

    After Biles exchanged hugs with Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, Cunningham greeted the seven-time Olympic gold medalist with an enthusiastic compliment: “You are a badass,” Cunningham told Biles before pulling her into a hug. Biles appeared slightly caught off guard but responded warmly, saying, “Oh, thank you.”

    Cunningham and Biles hold different views on transgender athletes

    The interaction lasted only a few seconds, but it quickly spread online because of the athletes’ contrasting positions on one of the most divisive issues in sports.

    Cunningham has publicly argued that girls should not have to compete against biological males. She has made her position clear in recent discussions about transgender athletes and women’s sports, while also emphasizing the importance of Title IX, the federal law that protects equal opportunities based on sex in education and athletics.

    Biles, meanwhile, has publicly supported transgender inclusion. Her position became especially prominent during a heated social-media dispute with former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines in 2025.

    Different views, unexpected respect

    Gaines had criticized a Minnesota high school softball championship involving a transgender athlete. Biles responded by calling Gaines a bully and making personal remarks about her.

    The dispute drew widespread criticism, and Biles later apologized for allowing the disagreement to become personal. In her apology, she acknowledged that both fairness and inclusion matter in competitive sports. She also said the issue was complicated and that meaningful discussions should begin with empathy and respect.

    That history made Cunningham’s friendly greeting particularly notable. Despite their apparent disagreement over transgender participation in sports, Cunningham showed clear admiration for Biles, who accepted the gesture graciously.

    Fever rally to beat Connecticut Sun

    The moment came during an important night for Indiana. The Fever overcame a 14-point first-quarter deficit to defeat the Sun convincingly, with Clark and Mitchell each scoring 34 points. Clark also recorded 12 assists, while Aliyah Boston added 14 points.

    Cunningham has become an increasingly recognizable figure in Indiana since joining the Fever. Her energetic performances, physical defense and three-point shooting have made her an important contributor off the bench, while her outspoken opinions have expanded her public profile beyond basketball.

    Her pregame fashion has also become a regular talking point among Fever fans, adding another dimension to her growing visibility.

    However, Friday’s encounter with Biles stood out for a different reason. It showed that public disagreement does not necessarily prevent athletes from respecting one another personally.

    While Cunningham and Biles may remain on opposite sides of a contentious debate in sports, their brief exchange demonstrated that admiration and civility can exist alongside significant differences of opinion.

  • Simone Biles Gets Huge Ovation at Fever Game, Shares Special Moment With Caitlin Clark on Historic Night

    Simone Biles Gets Huge Ovation at Fever Game, Shares Special Moment With Caitlin Clark on Historic Night

    Simone Biles knows what it feels like when an arena pauses to recognize greatness. She has heard those roars after Olympic medals, extraordinary routines and moments that changed gymnastics forever. On Friday night in Indianapolis, however, Biles was not competing. She was sitting in the stands when thousands of fans made sure she knew how much she still means to them.

    When Biles appeared on the giant screen at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun, the crowd erupted. The most decorated gymnast in history smiled and waved as the cheers continued. It was a powerful reception for an American sports icon, but the evening soon delivered another memorable moment.

    Caitlin Clark makes WNBA history as Simone Biles watches

    While Biles watched from the stands, Caitlin Clark was making history on the court.

    Clark scored 34 points and provided 12 assists as Indiana defeated Connecticut 111-91. Kelsey Mitchell also scored 34 points. Clark became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 800 points and 300 assists in a single season. She also became the first player to combine 300 assists with at least 100 made three-pointers in one season.

    Simone Biles and Caitlin Clark share a postgame embrace

    One of the night’s most memorable images, however, took place away from the thousands of screaming fans.

    After the game, Biles walked into the hallway outside the Fever locker room, where she and Clark finally met face-to-face. They smiled and embraced, and Clark greeted her warmly with a simple, “Good to see you.”

    Biles also spent time greeting other Fever players. She exchanged hugs and smiles with Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston and other Indiana stars. Sophie Cunningham gave the gymnastics legend an especially enthusiastic welcome, telling her, “You are a badass.” Biles was accompanied by her brother during the postgame visit.

    The admiration clearly went both ways. Biles has seven Olympic gold medals and more World Championship medals than any gymnast in history, but she was not walking through the hallway expecting royal treatment. She was there as a sports fan, congratulating another group of women on what they had accomplished.

    Biles attended her first WNBA game at the same arena exactly two years earlier, on August 28, 2024, when Indiana also played Connecticut. That night, Clark broke the WNBA rookie record for three-pointers in a season. Biles later met the Fever players and celebrated women’s sports, while Clark admitted she was having her own fangirl moment after meeting the Olympic superstar.

    Two years later, Biles returned. Once again, Clark made history with the gymnastics icon watching from the stands.

    This time, Clark was no longer a rookie finding her place in the league. She was the player who had just produced 34 points and 12 assists, helped Indiana win for the seventh time in nine games and achieved statistical combinations no player in WNBA history had previously reached.

    For a few seconds in that hallway, however, none of those numbers seemed especially important.

    It was simply Simone Biles and Caitlin Clark smiling and embracing—two of the biggest names in American sports sharing a moment of genuine mutual admiration.

    Source: www.marca.com