Michelle Jenneke: from Web fame to SI Swimsuit Issue
Below you can see the video documenting Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue shoot.
Michelle Jenneke reached global fame just before the 2012 Olympics, as video footage of her pre-race warmup dance hit the web. Michelle Jenneke became an instant sex symbol, so it's not too surprising that Sports Illustrated would reach out to her.
To be honest, I don't think that the SI Swimsuit Issue is good for women's sports in the long run, as it firmly frames female athletes as sex objects: any discussion of their athletic ability becomes ancillary to how conventionally-attractive they are. It's the opposite for male athletes, who don't pop up on the radar until they reach elite status.
That said, it's up to each athlete to choose whether or not to participate in something like a Swimsuit Issue shoot. Higher profile means bigger endorsement deals: it's a business decision more than anything.
Michelle Jenneke's pre-race dance
it's impossible to watch Michelle Jenneke dancing and not at least crack a smile: she's having fun, so we're having fun. When I first saw the Michelle Jenneke warmup dance video last summer, my first thought wasn't "Phoaaar!", but "Awwwww!".
- Michelle Jenneke video: Web crowns Jenneke 'World's hottest hurdler'
- Michelle Jenneke photo gallery
Michelle Jenneke specializes in the 100m hurdles, with a personal best of 13.39 seconds. Jenneke placed fifth at the 2012 World Juniors in Barcelona: video from that tournament made her a celebrity. AskMen has Michelle Jenneke at #10 on its list of 99 Most Desirable Women of 2013. She's 19, guys. Age-inappropriate.
The 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue features Kate Upton on the cover, in a photo shot against the Antarctic coastline during the Austral summer. The issue is available now, but you probably already knew that.
