ESPN's 2017 BODY issue

[Sylvia]

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2017/06/espn-magazine-announces-2017-body-issue-roster/

ESPN The Magazine launched the BODY franchise almost a decade ago with one mission: to celebrate and showcase the athletic form through powerful images and interviews. Many of the world’s elite athletes have participated in this issue over the years, and today [June 26] The Magazine announced the 23 athletes featured in the ninth annual BODY Issue. <snip> ...
Photos, personal interviews and videos of the BODY athletes will debut on ESPN.com on July 5, and The Magazine will hit newsstands on July 7. <snip> ...

Preview: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=19720555

The list of 23 athletes featured:
A.J. Andrews (pro softball player)
Javier Baez (Chicago Cubs second baseman and World Series champion)
Brent Burns (defenseman) and Joe Thornton (center - both of the San Jose Sharks)
Julian Edelman (New England Patriots wide receiver)
Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys running back)
Kirstie Ennis (retired Marine Corps Sgt. and adaptive snowboarder/mountaineer)
Novlene Williams-Mills (Team Jamaica sprinter and four-time Olympic medalist)
Julie Ertz (U.S. women’s national soccer team, Chicago Red Stars defender) and Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles tight end - they are married to each other)
Malakai Fekitoa (New Zealand All Blacks center)
Gus Kenworthy (2014 Olympic silver medalist in freestyle skiing)
Nneka Ogwumike (2016 WNBA MVP, Los Angeles Sparks)
Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics' 2-time NBA All-Star)
Ashley Wagner (figure skating)
Michelle Waterson (Mixed Martial Arts fighter)
Caroline Wozniacki (Danish tennis player)
Six members of the U.S. women’s national hockey team: Brianna Decker, Kacey Bellamy, Meghan Duggan, identical twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Alex Rigsby (goaltender)

 

[Sylvia]

Video clip does not play but here's a still photo from Ashley Wagner's photo shoot that she re-tweeted a few days ago: https://twitter.com/ESPNmx/status/881247127170674688

2017 athlete photos/videos are linked from/being added here as they are released by ESPN: http://espnmediazone.com/us/media-kits/2017-espn-body-issue/

 

[Bill Trenary]

All pics:

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19742921/espn-body-issue-2017

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19742921/espn-body-issue-2017#!athletes_ashleywagner
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19742921/espn-body-issue-2017#!athletes_ashleywagner
...and the article:

http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/...lks-concussions-costumes-collisions-body-2017

 

[MsZem]

I usually like the sports-related pictures in the body issue better than the more conventional poses they have some of the athletes do. These people are world-class athletes, don't pose them like they're in a high school yearbook or the SI swimsuit issue!

The basketball players got fabulous pictures, and Kirstie Ennis has a good one, too.

I knew about Ashley Wagner's concussions, but didn't realize the extent to which it affects her training. Really interesting to read about how she learns (and sometimes forgets) her choreography as a result. Yikes.

 

[aftershocks]

Yes, ESPN photographers do a great job of getting discreet and classy, yet revealing, action shots of these athletes' powerful and fit bodies in poses associated with each athletes' respective sport. Lovely shot of Ashley (#13 of 16 in the body issue link). Clearly, every athlete who accepts ESPN's invitation to participate is very comfortable and confident in their own skin. The only shot that seemed a little bit suggestive was the one where the female hockey players were grouped together with their butts/breasts rubbing up against each other. But, oh well.

Behind-the-scenes shoots must be something special. Especially the one with Julie Johnson Ertz (soccer), and her husband, Zach Ertz (football). http://www.csnphilly.com/the700leve...s-her-tight-end-husband-zach-espns-body-issue

I never saw the photo of Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig included in the 2011 ESPN body issue gallery.
http://www.espn.com/espn/photos/gallery/_/id/7030506/bodies-want-2011 click on photo and the gallery will open
Perhaps Amanda & Mark weren't included in the gallery because their photo was printed in black-and-white, and they weren't as well known athletes. There's not a good visual of their photo available online, but I did find this one:
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8WMAAOSwPc9Wv7eB/s-l1600.jpg
Wow, a great moving shot of them naked on ice skates with spotlights and shadows. And Mark's expression... Ooh la, la, indeed:
http://www.inforum.com/lifestyles/3...ad-skater-ladwig-shows-lot-skin-espn-magazine Too bad they wuzrobbed of higher placement at 2010 Olympics! Practically all of the second tier couples ahead of them made bad mistakes in both sp and fp, but they didn't.

How soon we forget that Evan Lysacek was in the 2010 ESPN body issue:
Evan is #14 of 19, but where was Johnny?!:
http://www.espn.com/espn/photos/gallery/_/id/7030505/image/14/evan-lysacek-bodies-want-2010 click on photo for sharp visual and removal of banner

Well, there is this current partial peekaboo view of Johnny from his Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVD5sqoACfk/?taken-by=johnnygweir&hl=en