Former UCLA gymnast Gracie Kramer has strongly criticized Sydney Sweeney’s new Novig sports ad, saying it sends the wrong message about women in sports. Kramer shared a video of herself competing after seeing the campaign, arguing that female athletes should be known for their skill, hard work and achievements rather than their bodies. Her post also helped start a wider social media trend among female athletes.
Gracie Kramer calls out Sydney Sweeney’s Novig sports ad
The Novig ad features Sydney Sweeney using sports equipment while appearing with very little clothing as she promotes the sports prediction platform. Novig has described the campaign as a way to keep the focus on sports, but several female athletes have strongly disagreed with that message.Gracie Kramer was among the athletes who spoke out. The former UCLA gymnast shared clips of herself competing and training, making the contrast with the Novig campaign clear.“Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sports looks like,” Kramer wrote.She later explained why the ad bothered her so much. Kramer said she had spent her life competing in a sport where female athletes were often judged by their bodies instead of what they could do.“This ad is honestly infuriating. I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do,” Kramer wrote on Instagram.Kramer also questioned the way women’s sports are promoted when appearance becomes the main focus.“So to see women’s sports once again being marketed through the male gaze feels like a massive step backward,” she wrote. “We should not have to take our clothes off to convince men that women belong in sports, or that we’re only worth watching if we’re showing enough skin.”Novig has defended the idea behind the campaign. In its release, the company said the ad was meant to bring its “Just Sports” message to life with “confidence, humor and a playful edge.” Sweeney is also a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig, so she is more closely connected to the campaign than a typical celebrity appearing in an advertisement.
Gracie Kramer sparks women’s sports response after Sydney Sweeney ad
Kramer’s response did not stay limited to gymnastics. Other female athletes began sharing their own videos and photos showing what their lives in sports actually look like.Australian swimmer Lani Pallister posted footage of her training, races and medals. British sprinter Amy Hunt also spoke directly about the issue after competing at the Ultimate Championships. “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said after her 200-meter final.Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus also criticized the campaign. She said the ad was upsetting because women’s sports should be about teamwork, dedication and excellence, not the sexualization of women.Other athletes, including water polo player Tilly Kearns, boxer Skye Nicolson and sprinter Bree Rizzo, have also shared their reactions or joined the trend by highlighting their own sporting achievements.For Kramer, the issue goes beyond one advertisement. She said female athletes have spent years trying to be respected for their ability and do not want their bodies to become the main selling point again.“I don’t typically speak out on controversial topics, but to me, this isn’t controversial,” Kramer wrote. “This is about demanding respect for female athletes and protecting the future of women in sports.”
