It is truly amazing what hard work and discipline can do to the body, so let us all take a moment to marvel at these very fine specimens. The muscles these athletes develop blow my mind! What a beautiful group of portraits in the nude, for the most part. The photography on Khatuna was my favorite, visually….

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10. Amy Acuff
Athletes are athletes, after all. They go through rigorous training and repetition to remain the best in the world at what they do. Naturally, they're going to be toned and fit and make most of us feel like harmless sacks of goo because of it. Having one of these issues initially made sense, but basically we're at the point where ESPN wants to sell flesh once a year, so have at it, I guess. Year to year, I'm not noticing anything evolutionary or different about the bodies picked; the faces are mostly all that changes. With the Olympics a few weeks away -- come on, get here already, Games -- the mag naturally took it upon itself to wrangle in a bunch of athletes who'll be competing in London.
What to Read Next
Katarina Witt, one of the greatest Olympic figure skaters, was the first female athlete to pose naked for Playboy. The December issue featuring her nude photographs was the second ever sold-out issue of the magazine. Some do it for the money and fame, some do it for a good cause, while other athletes do it because they are simply proud of showing their perfectly sculpted bodies. Whether posing nude is damaging or not for female athletes, is still a hot debate. Charlene Weaving states? By the way, did you know that ancient Olympians competed nude?
Five stars of Team GB's women's rugby team have posed naked in celebration of the bodies that help them achieve their goals. In Women's Health 's September issue , the five Olympians talk openly about their relationships with their bodies, and how their body shapes enable them to play rugby. Five of Team GB's rugby sevens athletes talked frankly about their relationships with their bodies. It was my brother who pointed out that my build was the very thing that would help me achieve my dreams of playing pro rugby for England," full back Danielle Waterman second on the right told Women's Health. My body is how it is — 5 foot, 8 inches and powerful.