Back to Cro-Magnon? Novig has no idea what an athlete is

Have you ever been told that your efforts in a sport make no sense because of your gender? Most probably, a woman close to you has. I know I have.

For many women, this is nothing new. Whether it’s being underestimated on the field, having achievements questioned, or being made to feel like we do not belong, women in sports have long had to fight to be taken seriously. Yet, just when we think we are moving forward, we are reminded of how far we still have to go.

The non-traditional sports betting platform Novig did exactly that with its controversial ad, released at the beginning of September under the slogan ‘Just Sports’ featuring Sydney Sweeney.

[The Novig ad] takes us back to a time in which women had no right to participate in these events

The actress appeared practically naked and barely covered by sports gear, asking the camera: “You think you know sports? Prove it” before repeating the word “Sports”. The ad suggests that women in sports are little else than objects of sexualisation, implying that the only role of women in sports is to be hot, and minimising the effort it takes female athletes to reach the peak of their sports. It takes us back to a time in which women had no right to participate in these events, to Cro-Magnon even, completely erasing the fight to include women in athletics.

Sydney Sweeney is undoubtedly a polemical figure, as most of her recent career has been followed by controversy. Still, it is strange to see this content coming from a woman who claims that she practiced MMA from a young age and that she participated in mixed championships, winning most of them.

It is impossible to forget the main culprit: Novig. For this ad to come out, a whole team must have been involved. There were screenwriters, a marketing team, executives – a whole crew that approved the campaign. It is obvious that their only objective was to reach their target audience, but at what cost? Clearly, they were not thinking about the harm it could do to female athletes, or how much it has cost them and those who came before them to get this far. They were not thinking about the effort it takes to excel at a sport, the blood it often demands, or the hours spent practising instead of having fun. Maybe they were not thinking at all.

They were clearly not thinking about Alexandra Trusova: the first female figure skater to land a 4Lz+3T, along with multiple other groundbreaking elements.

They were not betting on [those of us] who dedicate a part of our souls to the sports we love

They didn’t believe in Jessica Long: the paralympic swimmer who holds 30 Olympic medals, 17 of which are gold. This astonishing number surpasses Michael Phelps’ who holds the record for most Olympic medals won with 28. She was twelve years old when she first won her first Olympic medal in 2004 and already hold 18 world-record performances by age 14.

Nor did they have Nawal El Moutawakel in mind: the first Moroccan, Arab, African, and Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold. Her performance in track and field set a precedent for women all across the Arab diaspora.

They ignored Serena Williams and her 23 Grand Slams, ten of which she won after the age of 30. She continued dominating the tennis scene after giving birth, reaching four Grand Slam finals as a mother.

And of course, we cannot forget our own incredible community of female athletes representing Team Warwick as well.

They were not betting on all of us, those who have not won any titles but still dedicate a part of our souls to the sports we love. They did not think about the little girl who has just stepped onto a field, rink, into a ring, or onto a track for the first time, and who will spend her time thinking that her sport is the one thing that will never judge her. The place where she will always feel safe.

And you, dear Team Warwick and friends? Who did you think of when you saw this ad that brings us back to Cro-Magnon?