Sports Illustrated magazine on Monday unveiled its annual swimsuit issue with model Kate Upton on the cover in a two-toned, red string bikini. Photos
Upton, 19, a native of Melbourne, Florida, is the latest in a long line of models including Heidi Klum, Elle MacPherson, Tyra Banks and Brooklyn Decker, who have appeared in the coveted role as the swimsuit issue's cover girl.
Upton, 19, who has modeled for Victoria's Secret and posed for racy Guess? ads when she was the face of the clothing line, spoke on how she felt after she was chosen for the magazine's cover. "This means so much for me personally," People Magazine quoted as saying.
"This has always been my dream," she said. Upton, who is rumoured to be dating NFL star Mark Sanchez, says that the cover image was among the first taken during the photo shoot in Sydney, Australia.
"In the beginning you're pretty relaxed, you're not thinking of new poses and it just feels really natural at that point. "At Sports Illustrated everyone's so nice and it's like a family, you don't really think too much into it. "I just have a lot of fun and be myself. It just comes so naturally," she added.
This year's 17 models in the swimsuit edition were photographed in Australia, Zambia, the Republic of Seychelles, Panama and in the United States in Apalachicola, Florida.
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, which hits newsstands on Tuesday, February 14, is annually the most widely-read edition of the magazine and being on the cover or inside its pages can launch a career for a model.
M.J. Day, senior editor for Sports Illustrated, said Upton "embodies the sophistication and sexiness" called for in the issue that is seen by some 70 million readers in the magazine, the Web and on mobile devices like phones and tablet computers.
According to sources, Upton's blond, all-American looks made her a top contender even though the magazine crowned Russian lingerie model Irina Shayk, the girlfriend of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, as its cover star last year.
Irina Shayk, made her sixth appearance in this year's edition.
Irina Shayk sizzled on the cover of last year's coveted swimsuit issue, but had handed over the crown to Upton, whose cover was unveiled on an enormous billboard in Times Square.
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