Michael Klim, Petria Thomas Get Naked for “The Athens Dream”

By Stephen J. Thomas

SYDNEY, Australia, June 28. AUSTRALIAN Olympic stars Michael Klim and Petria Thomas take it all off in a photo shoot for a special Olympic edition of leading art magazine Black+White, which features tasteful nude photos of Olympic athletes.

Klim, in fact, graces the cover of “The Athens Dream,” a 220-page collection of nude photographs and athlete stories featuring 35 Aussie Olympians.

On the first night of swimming at the 2000 Olympics it was Klim who set a world record for the 100 freestyle when he put the Aussie men’s 400m relay team in front on a sensational night for the home nation.

Four years on, the 26-year-old triple Olympian was still showing some good form this week, albeit of a different kind, with the release of a special Olympic edition of Black+White.

Klim, a dual gold medalist in Sydney was by no means the lone representative from the swim team. Fellow triple Olympian and very warm favorite in the butterfly events, Petria Thomas was surprisingly also willing to step out of her racing suit.

No so surprising, fly specialist Geoff Huegill is back for his second appearance, then there’s freestyler Brett Hawke, Olympic bronze medalist Justin Norris, as well as breaststroke specialist Brooke Hanson and another first-time Olympian, Felicity Galvez.

Asked about his inclusion at the launch of this Collector's edition – the third Olympic Special to date – Klim said,”While I have been approached in the past (to appear), until now it has never been the right time for me. The Olympics is the pinnacle for many athletes and to be a part of a unique publication that celebrates Australia's 2004 Olympic athletes feels really good and being photographed was certainly liberating, in more ways than one … and it was an honour to be on the cover.”

Petria Thomas saw her shoot as a completely new challenge: “I thought that if the photos were done tastefully that it would be a good record of me when I was actually fit and in good shape! It was also something that most people would not expect me to do; so sometimes it’s nice to surprise people,” she explained.

“I was quite nervous at the photo shoot,” she admitted. “I’m a very self-conscious person usually, so for me it was almost like conquering a fear. I relaxed a bit when I got used to being ‘exposed’… I felt really good about myself afterwards.”

Brooke Hanson, who will swim the 100-200 breaststroke double in her first Olympics said she was proud of her shots. “I've got a fantastic body at the moment and it was very tasteful," she said. Hanson also doubled up in some of the shots with her long-time boyfriend fellow swimmer Jared Clarke. "It was great to do it together so we can say to our kids, this is us in our prime," Hanson she explained.

Other participants from water sports were diving newlyweds Robert Newbery and Chantelle Michell and water polo player Joanne Fox.

Considerable interest has been generated in the US by Aussie WNBA and Seattle Storm star Lauren Jackson who also appears in the publication and as an alternative cover to Klim in the USA.

Participants in “The Sydney Dream” four years ago, which included swimmers Grant Hackett and Geoff Huegill went on to win thirteen medals for Australia in 2000, so it will be interesting to see how these new group will perform in August.

If you’re interested in further details go to:
www.studiomagazines.com/htdocs/homepage.htm

Cover Photograph courtesy of The Athens Dream, a special edition of Black+White magazine – cover photographer Paul Freeman.

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