Sports Illustrated Releases its Most Body-Positive Swimsuit Issue Ever

Photo: Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

For the first time in 52 years, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has crowned three cover models—and they have three totally different body types.

The trio includes fashion model Hailey Clauson, size-16 body-positive activist Ashley Graham, and MMA fighter Ronda Rousey.

One word: Wow!

Graham, the sultry beacon of body positivity, is the first plus-size model to appear on the cover. “I thought Sports Illustrated was taking a risk by putting a girl my size in the pages,” Graham told People after the cover reveal on Saturday. “But putting me on the cover? They aren’t just breaking barriers; they are the standard now. This is beyond epic.”

RELATED: 5 Rules for Loving Your Body from Model Ashley Graham

Rousey, who shows off her strong and sexy physique coated in body paint, is the first athlete to be featured on the cover. On Instagram, she wrote, “Such an honor to share the cover with @theashleygraham and @haileyclauson for @si_swimsuit’s issue celebrating women of all body types.”

SI Swimsuit managing editor M.J. Day described the long-limbed, sunny-haired Clauson as “the definition of a modern bombshell.”

RELATED: Why Ronda Rousey Is the Body Image Role Model We Need

“The three covers of Hailey, Ronda, and Ashley celebrate the new SI Swimsuit,” Day said. “All three women are beautiful, sexy and strong. Beauty is not cookie cutter. Beauty is not ‘one size fits all.’ Beauty is all around us and that became especially obvious to me while shooting and editing this year’s issue.”

All three covers land on newsstands Monday, Feb. 15.

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