Olympic swimmer Linda Cerruti blasts ‘sexist’ comments left on her medals Instagram post

Linda Cerruti has hit back at “sexist” comments left on an Instagram post celebrating her wins at the European Aquatic Championships
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Linda Cerruti has responded to “sexist” comments left underneath a photo showing herself posing upside down with her collection of medals.

The 28-year-old athlete took to Instagram to celebrate winning six silver and two bronze medals at the European Aquatic Championships earlier this month.

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The Italian competitor, who is an athlete of the Gruppo Sportivo della Marina Militare, showed off her flexibility skills by hanging the medals from her legs as she posed upside down.

Over 95,000 people liked the photo, however Cerruti has shared a follow-up post revealing that she received a flood of “sexist and vulgar” comments.

Italy’s Linda Cerruti competing (Getty Images)Italy’s Linda Cerruti competing (Getty Images)
Italy’s Linda Cerruti competing (Getty Images)

She shared a screenshot of the unwanted comments alongside a lengthy caption, admitting that she was “shocked and disgusted” by the inappropriate comments.

Cerruti wrote: “Two days ago I shared a photo taken at the beach where I always go, where I grew my first dreams and that for me also has a great symbolic value.

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“The photo depicts me in an artistic pose, typical of my sport, upside down and split, along with the eight medals won in what is the best European Championship of my career.

“The post was taken by various newspapers including @larepubblica , @tuttosport , @gazzettadellosport @ilfattoquotidianoit and @ilfattoquotidianoit .

“This morning a friend of mine sent me one of these posts shared by the headlines on their Facebook page, I opened it and I am literally bashed and disgusted by the hundreds, probably thousands, of inappropriate, sexist comments and vulgar people that go with it.

“Up here, apologizing in advance to the young athletes who follow me for how much they will read (but the alternative is silence, which is one of the reasons why we still read these things today), I report some examples of the lack of some sentences in the comment of the photo.”

 Italy’s Linda Cerruti and Italy’s Costanza Ferro (Getty Images) Italy’s Linda Cerruti and Italy’s Costanza Ferro (Getty Images)
Italy’s Linda Cerruti and Italy’s Costanza Ferro (Getty Images)
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Cerruti added that she finds it “shameful” how people have sexualized her body, after all of her years of training and sacrifice.

She continued: “Is a bum and two legs really what’s left, the main topic to talk about? The minimum and the only thing I can do, is to report the inappropriateness of those comments, mirror of a society that is still too masculine and very different from the one in which I would like to be born and raise my children one day.

“I would like, at the same time, to thank all the people who have distanced themselves from these comments, have "defended" me and appreciated the photo for what it is: the image of an artistic swimmer proud of her achievements. This is the Italy I proudly represent carrying the tricolor flag around the world.”

Linda has received many supportive comments from friends and fans, while others also congratulate her on her wins.

People are trash online” one person commented.

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However, other criticised Linda for her pose arguing that it was too “explicit”.

“She’s a very attractive young female who is posing in a bikini with her legs spread apart…what kind of comments did she expect she was going to get? BTW…I don’t agree they should have been made, but come on man!”

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