Tens across the board! Aly Raisman and Simone Biles make their sexy Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in the upcoming 2017 edition of the magazine. Sneak peek photos of the Final Five Olympic gymnasts’ sizzling shots were released on Tuesday, January 10. Take a behind-the-scenes look at their shoot in the video above!
The athletic duo ditched their leotards for several skin-baring bikinis. Both Raisman, 22, and Biles, 19, look fierce and fit in black two-pieces. Naturally, both gold medalists made the most of their gymnastic skills while posing for photographer James Macari.
While Raisman arches her back over a concrete bench, Biles shows off her impressive handstand while balancing on a cement beam in the photos, which were taken at the North Houston Skate Park and the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden — the backdrop for the first annual VIBES by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit event, set to take place on Friday, February 17. (Information for the event can be found at SI.com/SwimsuitVibes.)
“I am thrilled to include the gold medal-winning, U.S. women’s gymnasts Aly Raisman and Simone Biles in this year’s Swimsuit issue,” SI Swimsuit editor MJ Day said in a statement on Tuesday. “Aly and Simone represent all that is beautiful and strong and inspiring in women today. Women that are not only elite athletes, that are captivating and impressive in their own professional accomplishments (lots and lots of Olympic gold medals between them), but strikingly sexy and beautiful in front of photographer James Macari’s lens. I love seeing them shine in an entirely different way in the Swimsuit issue and being able to share these gorgeous and powerful images with the world. These women, their beauty and what they can achieve know no limits.”
Raisman and Biles’ appearance in the publication comes five months after they slayed the competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro with fellow Final Five members Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez.
Back in August, the ladies opened up to Sports Illustrated about their experience in Brazil. “We all were up a little bit earlier. Usually the competition days I wake up sometimes at like 6 or 7, kind of early, because you’re so excited for the day. But I don’t think any of us slept in right until 9:30, when we had breakfast,” Raisman, who is dating NFL star Colton Underwood, said of their daily routine. “We’re all just really excited. For breakfast we all had eggs, oatmeal or cereal. We like to take our time. We’re also just hanging out and having fun and dancing to music.”
