If any controversy were to arise over this issue, you'd think this statement would be the cause. But there's no room for debate, considering Vonn is the first U.S. woman to win back-to-back overall World Cup championships.
Instead, Vonn's pose is creating a stir. It's not difficult to see why:
The question at stake is a common refrain when female athletes are depicted in a sexual manner:
Is this objectifying them, or celebrating them? Is is sexist to highlight Vonn's beauty, or merely the job of any photographer to bring out what's most attractive about a subject?
An editorial on womantalksports.com reports that only 4% of Sports Illustrated covers feature women and these "are more likely than not to be in sexualized poses and not in action - and the most recent Vonn cover is no exception."
Then again, Danica Patrick has never been shy about playing up her sexuality - and it's led to a surge in popularity for her sport and for herself.
SI has clearly tilted the photo above to highlight Vonn's... assets. Is this right or wrong? Do you think the cover shot is sexist?
