above: Athletes Blake Griffith and Hope Solo pose au naturel for ESPN's Body Issue
ESPN The Mag’s 3rd Body Issue, went on newsstands yesterday, Friday, October 7 and features over 22 athletes in the buff, revealing their physiques while tastefully concealing their other assets. Athletes who span the world of sports including the four cover athletes below: Hope Solo, Gretchen Bleiler, Blake Griffin, and Jose Reyes.
The much-anticipated issue is a celebration and exploration of the wide variety that is the athletic form demonstrated through creative photography, in-depth interviews and a variety of features including “Bodies We Want,” where The Mag once again celebrates the strength, grace and perfection of the athletic form featuring 22 of the sleekest physiques in sports.
Celebrity and portrait photographers Francesco Carrozzini, Alex Cayley, Jeff Riedel, Luis Sanchis, Peter Hapak and Alan Clarke shot the following 24 photos for the issue and the four covers. The following images are grouped by photographer and some have been cropped for this post. The athletes and their corresponding sport are listed at the end of this post.
Apolo Anton Ohno by Francesco Carrozzini:
Gretchen Bleiler by Francesco Carrozzini:
Jose Reyes by Francesco Carrozzini:
Alicia Sacramone by Francesco Carrozzini:
Julie Chu by Alex Cayley:
Ryan Kesler by Alex Cayley:
Jeremy Campbell by Alex Cayley:
Vera Zvonareva by Alex Cayley:
Sylvia Fowles by Jeff Riedel:
Jon "Bones" Jones by Jeff Riedel:
Ryan Hall by Jeff Riedel:
Belen Mozo by Jeff Riedel:
Stephanie Gilmore by Luis Sanchis:
Hope Solo by Luis Sanchis:
Natasha Hastings by Luis Sanchis:
Helio Castroneves by Luis Sanchis:
Steven Jackson by Alan Clarke:
close-up:
Louie Vito by Peter Hapak:
Suzy Hotrod by Peter Hapak:
Kelly Kulick by Peter Hapak:
Sergio Martinez by Peter Hapak:
Athlete / Sport
Alicia Sacramone: Gymnastics
Apolo Ohno: Speedskating
Belen Mozo: Golf
Blake Griffin: NBA
Gretchen Bleiler: Snowboarding
Helio Castroneves: Motorsports
Hope Solo: Soccer
Jeremy Campbell: Discus/Pentathlon
Jon Jones: MMA
Jose Reyes: MLB
Julie Chu: Ice Hockey
Louie Vito: Snowboarding
Kelly Kulick: Bowling
Natasha Hastings: Track & Field
Ryan Hall: Running
Ryan Kesler: NHL
Sergio Martinez: Boxing
Stephanie Gilmore: Surfing
Steven Jackson: NFL
Suzy Hotrod: Roller Derby
Sylvia Fowles: WNBA
Vera Zvonareva: Tennis
Also in the Body Issue, “Nude Awakening,” documents one brave reporter’s account of turning the tables while he interviews L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier and enforcer Kevin Westgarth, with nothing but a notepad and tape recorder in hand; and “Chasing The Miracle Cure,” a deeper dive into how athletes constantly push the edge of science for an advantage and are stem cell injections the new frontier?
The Body Issue:
The Body You Don’t WantThe scars covering driver John Force are a map of his brutal career. The 15-time NHRA Funny Car champ details one of his crash-filled voyages. As told to Ryan McGee
Pass InterferencePeyton Manning’s gift is his ability to control the game. But learning to let go might be the only way he’ll get back onto the field. By Seth Wickersham
Nobody Walks AloneA bullet in the back left basketball star Mike Williams paralyzed from the waist down. The help of an old teammate is getting him back on his feet. By Brandon Sneed
images and info courtesy of ESPN Magazine
See videos of the photoshoots and behind the scenes here at ESPN/bodyissue
