Amanda Featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue -- February 15, 2005

NEW YORK, February 15. SHE'S no longer the skinny 14 year-old, clutching her teddy bear that we first met at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

No, Amanda Beard has come a long way, baby. She's all grown up now. An Olympic champion and world record-holder, she's also a very attractive young woman.

Amanda has a two-page layout in the annual Sports Illustrated "Swimsuit Issue," which will be on the newsstands today. Check her out.

The last female swimmer to appear in an SI,/i> "Swimsuit Issue" was Dara Torres, more than a decade ago.

To the best of our knowledge, the only US male swimmer to receive similar sex symbol treatment was Sabir Muhammad, who was featured in a 2001 issue of Sports Illustrated for Women.