Kate Upton is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model for 2012

Walter Iooss, Jr

Nineteen-year-old Kate Upton has been revealed as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model for 2012.
   The 5 ft 10 in Michigan-born, Florida-raised model is best known for her Guess! jeans advertisements.
   The cover was shot by Walter Iooss, Jr in Australia, and was first revealed on CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman. It is Iooss’s 12th cover.
   Last year, Upton was named rookie of the year, while Irina Shayk took the coveted cover spot.
   In earlier years, models including Kathy Ireland, Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Heidi Klum, Elle Macpherson, Tyra Banks and Brooklyn Decker have featured on the cover.
   In the 2012 issue, Bar Refaeli, Irina Shayk, Cintia Dicker, Jessica Gomes, Izabel Goulart, Julie Henderson, Ariel Meredith, Alyssa Miller, Genevieve Morton, Chrissy Teigen and Anne V also feature. The 2012 rookies are Adaora, Nina Agdal, Kirby Griffin, Crystal Renn, Michelle Vawer and Jessica Perez.
   In addition to Australia (Sydney and Cairns), Zambia, Seychelles, Panama and the US Gulf Coast were used as locations.

Above The Sports Illustrated swimsuit models pay tribute to Muhammad Ali in Las Vegas, Nevada.