Hunt criticises Sydney Sweeney advert as a barrier to girls after season's best in Budapest
British sprinter Amy Hunt said the controversial advert starring Sydney Sweeney creates a barrier for girls in sport after she ran a season's best 22.10 seconds in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday. Hunt, 24, added: "This is what women in sport look like."
The advert, produced for a sports betting company, features the American actress naked but covering parts of her body with various pieces of sporting equipment. Hunt is among several female athletes who have spoken out against the advert's messaging and she discussed her concerns during an appearance on Good Morning Britain.
"When we're trying to provide role models for young people and young women in sport, we really want to show that it's about what your body can do, not so much what it looks like," Hunt told Good Morning Britain. "When we see the the stats of 64% of young girls dropping out of exercise and sport before they reach the age of 16, we don't need to place any kind of barrier whatsoever in their way in terms of providing the opportunity and the empowerment for them to still exercise, whatever that looks like - professional or kind of just going to do a Parkrun with your friends. "So it's about empowering young girls and young women and young people to show that you really can just get out there, and you don't have to worry what you look like. You don't have to worry about what you're wearing."
Hunt described her own season as a breakthrough, saying she won four gold medals at the European Championships in Birmingham last month. She also said "sport is not pretty", describing how she is often sick during sessions or in tears if does not go to plan.
Hunt said the responses to Sweeney's advert have eclipsed the controversy. "The reaction has almost outweighed the moment because the first thing I saw was all of the positive compilations of women in sport," she said.
Her remarks followed her season's best 22.10 seconds in the 200m final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Sunday.