Kate Upton on cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition

Sports Illustratedmagazine on Monday unveiled its annual swimsuit issue with modelKate Upton on the cover in a twotoned red string bikini with abottom piece that literally appears to be little more than astring.

Upton 19 a native of Melbourne Florida is the latest ina long line of models including Heidi Klum Elle MacPhersonTyra Banks and Brooklyn Decker who have appeared in the covetedrole as the swimsuit issue’s cover girl.

M.J. Daly senior editor for Sports Illustrated said Uptonembodies the sophistication and sexiness called for in theissue that is seen by some 70 million readers in the magazinethe Web and on mobile devices like phones and tablet computers.

This year’s 17 models in the swimsuit edition werephotographed in Australia Zambia the Republic of SeychellesPanama and in the United States in Apalachicola Florida.

Every single girl we shoot has the opportunity to be on thecover and it really comes down to who has the best pictureDaly told . Whoever has that really specialjawdropping photo ends up on the cover.

Upton’s picture certainly fits the bill. She is posed in thepicture with one hand on her blonde hair and another on a barehip. Her suit appears small on her voluptuous body but thenagain it is a bikini.

The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition which hitsnewsstands on Tuesday February 14 is annually the mostwidelyread edition of the magazine and being on the cover orinside its pages can launch a career for a model.

Inside the magazine are also star female athletes in nothingbut layers of body paint. An iPhone app gives users a 360degreeview of painted women.

Model Bar Refaeli is pictured with sports stars RafaelNadal Chris Paul and Michael Phelps.

Last year’s cover model Irina Shayk makes her sixthappearance in this year’s edition. Among other models in theissue are Jessica Gomes Genevieve Morton and Anne V. JessicaPerez winner of the 2011 Rookie Model Search also is featured. Reporting By Bob Tourtellotte

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