These are good questions, and the 'experimenter' bias of the old theory (sexy women sell, sexy men don't) is evident: In this case, the conclusion was made by g

These are good questions, and the 'experimenter' bias of the old theory (sexy women sell, sexy men don't) is evident: In this case, the conclusion was made by generations of mostly male newsrooms, run by almost all-male editors, looking at the photos taken by male photographers, of an event probably run by men, in a culture (sports) long dominated by men. This group shockingly concluded that attractive females would be more appealing. It's a good example of why diverse groups are shown to produce better decisions. Some men might at times try to imagine what women prefer, and in male-run environments they might accommodate women when it's convenient and easy enough. Obviously, you will get different results if women speak for themselves, as normal, full participants, and if they have a seat at the table so that the implementation of their preferences isn't a matter of choice.