ESPN revealed all six covers for the 2015 edition of the Body Issue on Monday in what is the seventh annual volume of the series.
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper graces his own cover while other editions include Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love, Olympians Amanda Bingson and Chantae McMillan, 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin, and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.
ESPN revealed the covers and some other photos, which can be found at this link.
United States World Cup champion Ali Krieger is also on display in the issue and she spoke about the importance of being a part of it.
"It's important to show your vulnerabilities. I'm proud of my body, I'm proud of my sport, I'm proud of being a female athlete," Krieger said, according to MSN. Being naked is just another aspect of that. It's real. It's raw. It's honest."
The ultimate #mondaymotivation? ESPN The Magazine's 2015 #BodyIssue. PHOTOS: https://t.co/HRfXd45J4m pic.twitter.com/arcnfORQEj
— ESPN (@espn) July 6, 2015
"I want to play until I'm 40. And I'd like it to be my choice." @kevinlove in the #BodyIssue: https://t.co/LhbfOnaXpY pic.twitter.com/EA3u3cl3fF — ESPN (@espn) July 6, 2015
The 2015 #BodyIssue is now LIVE » https://t.co/U1Wg7X9eLe pic.twitter.com/CHJAKyzaDF
— X Games (@XGames) July 6, 2015
"If everybody was the same, it’d be a boring-ass world." @brittneygriner in the #BodyIssue: https://t.co/yRtqNSlMb9 pic.twitter.com/tTJdeASTHZ — ESPN (@espn) July 6, 2015
"I really want to stay as limber as I can ... get as ripped as I can." Bryce Harper's #BodyIssue shoot: https://t.co/ntmrV8FYqB
— ESPN (@espn) July 7, 2015
There are 24 different athletes from various sports that bared it all for this issue and the process was explained to ABC News.
"We have a lot of athletes who come to us and say, 'we're dying to be in the Body Issue, which is a great thing, a great position to be in," said the Magazine's Deputy Editor Neely Lohmann via ABC News. "You would always like to get your Lebron [James], people like Venus Williams, who is someone I always wanted and she did it last year."
Harper, who is having an MLB-caliber season for the Nationals and set a record for the most fan votes for a National League player to start the All-Star Game, said he always wanted to be a part of the magazine.
"It's a lot of fun," Harper said via ABC News. "I've been wanting to do that since I was 15 years old so it's really cool to me. God gave me a body so I'm gonna show it off."
ESPN's The Body Issue is currently available online and will hit newsstands on Friday.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.