Finely-honed athletes let world gaze upon results of hard work

SOME were nude, others were almost nude but they all made a splash yesterday as the latest “Body Issue” of ESPN Magazine showed some of America’s top athletes in all their power and glory.

A total of 22 sports stars, mostly American, posed artfully for the bi-weekly publication, the third year the Connecticut-based media giant unleashed such a project on the US public as well as online viewers who got an abridged taste of the bumper issue.

The cover stars for mail subscribers were last season’s NBA rookie of the year Blake Griffin, Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes along with US women’s soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo, who had the added privilege of sole ownership of the editions which hit newsstands across the nation.

LA Clippers power forward Griffin, known for his powerful dunking ability, has seen his profile sky-rocket in 2011 but avoided full exposure courtesy of a white thong.

“When they approached me about it, I was very excited about doing it,” the 6ft 10ins Oklahoma City native said. “I’d always seen it in past years and it was always well done. Obviously I was bit nervous about having my clothes off but everyone was cool, they made it easy.”

Of course, most basketball fans are more concerned with the ongoing NBA lockout which is on the verge of delaying the start of the season, slated for the start of November.

Commissioner David Stern said he will cancel the first two weeks of the season if there is no deal on a new labour agreement by Monday.

“We have to wait for a better deal,” the 22-year-old said. “Not just for the guys that are in the league now, but the guys that are coming in the next several years.

“That first proposal that the owners sent was so far out in left field, now it makes it seem like they’re compromising and they’re trying to do all these things when really we just want what we had.”

Meanwhile back at the studio, one of the few non-Americans, tennis player Vera Zvonareva, claimed the experience was not as awkward as she had been expecting.

“For me it was about trying something once. It was actually easier than I thought. I had a great team of photographers. I didn’t feel any pressure, I was just trying to be myself.”

Among the other athletes posing for the so-called “Bodies We Want 2011” collection of photographs included UFC fighter Jon Jones, Argentinian middleweight champion boxer Sergio Martinez, running back Steven Jackson of the St Louis Rams, US speedskater Apolo Ohno; 400m runner Natasha Hastings and LPGA rookie Belen Mozo.

“I feel very honoured to celebrate, not just the athlete’s body, but the female athlete’s body,” said Solo who was one of the heroes of the women’s World Cup in Germany this summer where the US lost out in the decider to Japan. “It was pretty liberating. It might never happen again in my life.

Hope Solo

The US soccer team goalkeeper reckons she doesn’t have to put in effort to be ‘red carpet ready’. “Being responsible and taking care of your body is how you truly make your paycheck, how you excel and succeed in your lifelong goals, so for me it’s just an everyday lifestyle.”

Ryan Kesler

Vancouver Canucks ice hockey star, whose decision to pose nude has attracted mockery from teammates such as goalie Roberto Luongo, who turned down a similar offer: “This body is for one set of eyes only. I turned it down, unfortunately Kes accepted.”

Gretchen Bleiler

Olympic medallist snowboarder who said of her nude photoshoot: “I wanted that bad-assed vibe. I didn’t want soft and cute and sexy.”

“I feel very honoured to celebrate, not just the athlete’s body, but the female athlete’s body.”