Photos: 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Covergirl Kate Upton – Denver Post
Posted Feb 13, 2012
NEW YORK — She’s a Florida girl who’s comfortable in a bikini, and now 19-year-old model Kate Upton is on the cover of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.She wears a tiny red-and-brown, sparkle-covered string bikini with a view of the waters of Australia behind her as she poses for the magazine cover, which is scheduled to be unveiled on TV Monday night on “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS.“That was one of the first photos from the first shoot,” she said in a telephone interview before the big reveal. “It was my favorite swimsuit. … I felt sexy in it but confident.”
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In this cover image released by Time Inc. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, model Kate Upton graces the cover of the “Sports Illustrated 2012 Swimsuit Issue.” The double issue is now on sale at newsstands, tablet, mobile and on SI.com/Swimsuit. (AP Photo/Walter Iooss Jr. for Sports Illustrated)
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In this image released by Sports Illustrated on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, model Kate Upton is shown in a photo from the “Sports Illustrated 2012 Swimsuit Issue.” Upton also graces the cover of the double issue now on sale at newsstands, tablet, mobile and at SI.com/Swimsuit. (AP Photo/Walter Iooss Jr. for Sports Illustrated)
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Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton on board the 2011 SI Swimsuit Models New York To Las Vegas Flight on February 15, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)
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Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton arrives at SI Swimsuit On Location hosted by LAX Nightclub at LAX Nightclub on February 16, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jacob Andrzejczak/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)
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Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton arrives at SI Swimsuit On Location hosted by LAX Nightclub at LAX Nightclub on February 16, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jacob Andrzejczak/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)
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Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton arrives at Club SI Swimsuit hosted by Vanity at Vanity Nightclub at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on February 17, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jacob Andrzejczak/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)
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Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton attends Club SI Swimsuit hosted by Vanity at Vanity Nightclub at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on February 17, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)
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Model Kate Upton attends the premiere of “The Bully Project” during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival at AMC Loews Village 7 on April 23, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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Model Kate Upton attends the premiere of “The Bully Project” during the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival at AMC Loews Village 7 on April 23, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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Kate Upton attends the screening of “Horrible Bosses” at Sunshine Landmark on June 23, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
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Model Kate Upton throws the ball during the 2011 Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Chase Field on July 10, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Kate Upton walks the runway at the Beach Bunny Swimwear show during Merecdes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2012 at The Raleigh on July 15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Beach Bunny)
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In this cover image released by Time Inc. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, model Kate Upton graces the cover of the “Sports Illustrated 2012 Swimsuit Issue.” The double issue is now on sale at newsstands, tablet, mobile and on SI.com/Swimsuit. (AP Photo/Walter Iooss Jr. for Sports Illustrated)
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Kate Upton walks the runway at the Beach Bunny Swimwear show during Merecdes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2012 at The Raleigh on July 15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Beach Bunny)
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Model Kate Upton blogs at the Microsoft PC Press Lounge during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim on July 15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for IMG)
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Kate Upton walks the runway at the Beach Bunny Swimwear show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim at The Raleigh on July 15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)
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Kate Upton walks the runway at the Beach Bunny Swimwear show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim at The Raleigh on July 15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)
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Kate Upton prepares backstage at the Beach Bunny Swimwear show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2012 at The Raleigh on July 15, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Make Up For Ever)
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Model Kate Upton attends Caffe Swimwear show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim on July 16, 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for IMG)
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Kate Upton attends Heidi Klum’s 12th annual Halloween party at the PH-D Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown on October 31, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
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Model Kate Upton attends the 6th annual Champions of Professional Bull Riding Madison Square Garden Invitational Pre Party at Madison Square Garden on January 6, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
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Model Kate Upton poses with UP2U Gum at DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl 2012 at Victory Field on February 4, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for UP2U Gum)
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Model Kate Upton poses on the field during DIRECTV’s Sixth Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl Game at Victory Field on February 4, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for DirecTV)
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Kate Upton at the Lincoln Center after a ribbon cutting ceremony kicking-off Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, Feb. 8, 2012. Upton, just 19, has arrived on the fashion scene as a largely self-created phenomenon and will be the latest cover girl for Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. (Emily Berl/The New York Times)
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In this photograph provided by SoBe Try Everything – Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011 Rookie of the Year, Kate Upton tries her hand (both of them) at milking a “cow” filled with SoBe Orange Cream at the brand’s “Try Everything” event in New York on Wednesday, May 25, 2011. (Albert Ferreira/SoBe Try Everything via AP Images)