Olympic swimmer slams ‘sexist’ comments on racy medal photo

A synchronized swimmer has condemned the “sexist and vulgar” comments she received on a photo depicting her hard-earned achievements.

Italian Olympian Linda Cerruti, 28, scooped up six silver and two bronze medals at the European Aquatics Championships in Rome earlier this month and decided to advertise her achievements in an eye-popping snap shared on Instagram.

The picture in question, posted last Monday, showed the super-fit sportswoman posing upside down by the ocean in a leopard-print bikini.

Cerruti’s eight medals were seen draped from her tanned and toned legs, which were hoisted into the air as she performed a split.

The photo received more than 89,000 likes, with many fans cooing over her incredible achievement.

But just two days later, Cerruti returned to Instagram with a follow-up post, saying she had received “thousands” of sexist comments beneath the original image.

The athlete shared a screenshot of one comment, written in Italian. “Nice medals, but the space between medals 4 and 5 isn’t bad either,” the message read.

Another comment, written by a male Instagram user, purportedly stated, “Very good … in the pool and outside.”

Cerruti fired back, penning a lengthy diatribe, saying the photo was intended to be “artistic” and did not deserve the deluge of demeaning comments that “sexualized” her body.

“Two days ago I shared a photo taken at the beach where I always go, where I developed my first dreams, a place that has great symbolic value for me,” she wrote. “The photo shows me in an artistic pose, typical of my sport, upside down and doing the splits along with the eight medals I won during the best European Championship of my career.”

The synchronized swimmer subsequently blasted, “I am literally shocked and disgusted by the hundreds, probably thousands, of inappropriate, sexist comments and vulgar people responsible for them.

“After over 20 years of training and sacrifice, I find it SHAMEFUL to say the least, and it is heartbreaking to read the hordes of people making jokes that sexualize my body,” she further raged. “Is a bum and two legs really the only thing there and the main topic of conversation? The minimum, and the only thing I can do, is expose the inappropriateness of those comments, mirroring a society that is still very masculine and different to the one I would like to be born into and raise my children one day.”

Cerruti — who blurred out the name of the “sexist” commentator in her screenshot — quickly found strong support from female followers, many of whom encouraged her to name and shame the man and other misogynists.

“Let’s see names and surnames of these imbeciles,” one angry fan declared.

Meanwhile, several Italians chimed in saying they were “proud” of Cerruti for representing their country, praising her racy photo.

“You are our pride!” one declared. “All idiots hide behind their screens.”