Two things that are controversial in certain segments of society are gambling and posing nude for publication. Both are at play with regard to British sprinter Amy Hunt’s protestations.
It is about an advertisement that has gone viral and features American actress Sydney Sweeney naked but covering parts of her body with various pieces of sporting equipment.
The ad was published shortly after new camera-positioning recommendations were given to broadcasters and streamers to avoid provocative video-taking.
Hunt is a five-time European champion. She referenced the ad after running a season’s best of 22.10 seconds to finish fourth in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said on social media.
She was referring to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. Jefferson-Wooden’s winning time of 21.47 seconds makes her the third-fastest athlete of all time and the fourth-fastest performance over the distance.
American actress Sweeney, 29, starred in the television series Euphoria, and her films include Anyone But You and The Housemaid.
Sweeney is capitalizing on her looks while expanding her acting résumé.
The backlash has included many other athletes from a range of sports posting videos of themselves competing or training.
The protests were started by American gymnast Gracie Kramer. She posted a montage of herself training with the caption, “I don’t know what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what women in sport look like.”
Athletes are not immune to the lure
While the protestations continue, some athletes have taken advantage of their looks for financial and career gain.
For example, figure skater Katarina Witt, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, posed nude for Playboy magazine in 1998.
Anna Kournikova, Tennis World No. 1 in doubles and a two-time Australian Open doubles champion, broadly capitalized on her appearance, becoming one of the most highly endorsed athletes of the late 1990s and early 2000s. She also modelled for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Amanda Beard, a seven-time Olympic swimming medallist, posed nude for Playboy in 2007. She also posed for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
There were several others, including track and field athlete Amy Acuff, a five-time Olympian who capitalized on her looks through several modelling campaigns and posed nude for the September 2004 issue of Playboy.
Men do it too
But it is not just women who have taken advantage of their good looks for money. Men have done this, too.
Rob Gronkowski, a former NFL player, bared all in high-energy, revealing action poses in the Body Issue.
Brooks Koepka, a major champion in golf, posed nude in 2019, famously dismissing critics of the provocative shoot.
Stan Wawrinka, a tennis Grand Slam champion, stripped down for a series of highly artistic, muscular action shots.
Michael Phelps, the most successful swimmer, posed nude in underwater and poolside spreads, highlighting his iconic swimmer’s tapered torso.
Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade bared it all for the 2016 cover of the Body Issue, utilizing the shoot to display his pristine physical conditioning.
The 24-year-old Hunt owns a 200m personal best of 22.08. She has earned silver medals at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and World Championships. She is a five-time gold medallist at the European Championships.
