This year's ESPN portraits of naked athletes show the majesty of the human body

The sports magazine ESPN now has a sort of yearly tradition of taking photos of world-class athletes naked.

It's known as the 'body issue' and it's now in its ninth year.

It's supposed to celebrate high performance in all shapes and sizes, and it does, but also - naked photos of top athletes really shift magazines.

The 2017 body issue features...

Caroline Wozniacki:

Ezekiel Elliott:

Isiah Thomas:

Javier Baez:

Picture: ESPN cover

Alongside A.J. Andrews, Brent Burns, Joe Thornton, Julian Edelman, Kirstie Ennis, Zach Ertz, Julie Ertz, Malakai Fekitoa, Gus Kenworthy, Nneka Ogwumike, Ashley Wagner, Michelle Waterson, Novlene Williams-Mills and the US Women’s National Hockey Team.

You can read an interview with Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and buy copies of the latest issues on the ESPN website.

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