3-Time Olympian Megan Rapinoe Glistened in Gold on SI Swimsuit Set in St. Lucia

The retired athlete showed off her soccer skills on the beaches of the Caribbean destination.

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

With the 2024 Summer Olympics kicking off this Friday, July 26, in Paris, we here at SI Swimsuit have Olympians—present and past—on our minds.

Over the years, the pages of the annual issue have featured a variety of impressive athletes across various sports. Among that group are a select number of Olympians, too, who have represented the United States on the international stage. Where current Olympians are concerned, the brand is happy to call history-making gymnast Simone Biles one of our own. But if we’re talking former Olympians who have posed for the brand, there are almost too many to count.

Though they won’t be representing the country in France this year, we will always remember their standout performances of years past. And that list of impressive athletes includes, of course, retired professional soccer player and SI Swimsuit legend Megan Rapinoe.

The 39-year-old has two Olympic medals to her name: a gold from the 2012 London games and a bronze from the 2020 Tokyo games. Just before that second appearance on the big stage, she took a brief break from the soccer pitch to take a trip to St. Lucia, where she posed for her SI Swimsuit debut.

Dazzling in gold swimwear, the soccer icon showed off her strength, beauty and her impressive skills on the beaches of the Caribbean destination. It was a trip for the books, and the photos captured by Ben Watts will forever be some of our favorites.

Here are a few of the stunning snaps of Rapinoe on set in St. Lucia.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated