Tennis star
Serena Williams, artistic gymnast
Shawn Johnson, and mixed martial artist
Gina Carano are among the 30-plus athletes posing nude or semi-nude in ESPN The Magazine's first-ever "Body Issue" hitting newsstands Oct. 9.
The magazine will show athletes on the field and off, and even in the operating room during knee surgery, said editor-in-chief Gary Belsky during a conference call Wednesday.
In one section called "Bodies We Want" top athletes either pose in the buff (with private parts strategically covered) or with minimal clothing. The section is "essentially our version of the best bodies in sports," said Belsky.
The magazine has chosen six athletes (3 male and 3 female) from this section to appear on six different magazine covers.
In another section called "Exposure," groups of athletes from the LPGA, the U.S. Women's Softball Team, the NHL's Edmonton Oilers, Major League Soccer's D.C. United and even a group of poker players pose in their birthday suits.