Russian bombshell Irina Shayk, perhaps known as the resident armpiece of soccer sportsman Cristiano Ronaldo (whom she met while working on an Armani Exchange campaign), beat out a bevy of babes — including Jessica Gomes, Jessica White, and latest year’s yellow bikini-clad beauty Brooklyn Decker to take the highly-coveted cover on this year’s issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Shayk hails from Yemanzhelinsk, a Russian village so tiny that it doesn’t show up on most maps. She made her SI swimsuit debut in 2007 and has appeared in every swimsuit edition since then.
Here she is: Miss Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover Model 2011! Russian-born 25-year-old Irina Shayk learned at a taping of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman Mondy that she won the coveted spot as the 2011 Swimsuit Issue covergirl from a photoshoot in Hawaii several months ago.
She succeeds the 2010 cover model Brooklyn Decker.
Keeping up with tradition, the 2011 Sports Illustrated cover model will be revealed on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman this Monday, Feb. 14. And in a new twist — 10 of the swimsuit models gracing the pages of this year’s issue will present the Top 10 List, with the identity of the cover model revealed later in the broadcast.
This year’s cover model will visit the Late Show for an interview with Letterman the following night.
The Black Eyed Peas will headline the Bridgestone Halftime Show as the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers faceoff in Super Bowl XLV, live from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, on Feb. 6. But the band is also set to be front and center for a weekend of partying in the heart of Texas. On Thursday, The Peas released a new promo for the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl Bash that they’ll be hosting on the evening of Friday, Feb. 4.
Who needs a SuperBowl champion when you can snuggle up to a Sports Illustrated coverguy?!
Dallas Cowboys star Miles Austin — who has been spotted hobnobbing with socialite vixen Kim Kardashian in the months since her split from New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush — is featured on the cover of the new issue of Sports Illustrated.
