Sports illustrated Swimsuit 2011

A swimsuit issue first this year was an exclusive sneak peak at the Swimsuit edition was revealed on DIRECTV's The 101 Network Friday, February 11, 2011. The main attraction, of course, were 17 models slated to appear in this year's spread along with a tell-all on the various photo location shoots used in the 2011 issue.

And this year's cover girl? She wasn't to be unveiled until the official publication date slated for Tuesday, February 15, 2011. The big news was announced in the US on the David Letterman show on Valentine's Day, February 14. Since the show tapes at 6PM, the grand unveiling was revealed hours earlier to Times Square crowds in New York City. Now watch for a special guest appearance by this year's cover model, Irina Shayk, on the night of February 15.

Irina Shayk, a supermodel since 2004 has been on the top 20 lists of sexiest models worldwide and, on a personal note, is currenty the main squeeze of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Irina Shayk, who has previously graced the inside pages of Sports Illustrated, has won the magazine’s coveted cover.

The Russian model’s cover was briefly revealed earlier today on a large billboard in New York’s Times Square for a segment to air later tonight on "Late Show with David Letterman."

Sports illustrated Swimsuit 2011