Swimsuit

Ilona Maher Just Dropped a Bikini Photo That Has Everyone Doing a Double Take

The "beach party MVP” certainly caught our attention.

Bailey Colon

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Sunglasses by Bonnie Clyde.
Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Sunglasses by Bonnie Clyde. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher closed out the month of May by bringing the heat to Miami. We couldn’t take our eyes off the Olympic medalist during her first Swim Week with SI Swimsuit, and her Instagram post from this past weekend is one reason why.

Captioned, “Beach party MVP coming in hot @CoppertoneUSA🏖️,” the collaborative post, between Maher and SI Swimsuit, features a striking cover slide with the rugby player in a string bikini in the water.

Taken at SI Swimsuit’s Beach Club at the W South Beach, Maher stunned in the staple summertime denim suit and styled the piece with a lime green button-up and thong flip-flops. Her sisters—and House of Maher podcast cohosts—Olivia and Adrianna joined the September 2024 digital cover star for a day in the sun.

As a partner of Coppertone, the event (presented by the sunscreen brand) felt even more personal. She shared an anecdote of her history with the sun protection company with Refinery29 in March.

“I have a very cool and different job in that I’m out in the sun sweating and running for three hours a day — and that means a lot of sun exposure,” Maher explained. “You’ll see me a minute before the whistle because we’ve got to get ready to warm up—and I'm applying my Coppertone.”

While in Miami, Maher also strutted in her first SI Swimsuit Runway Show. Sporting suits from Heavy Manners and Matte Collection, she made waves in her debut catwalk appearance with the brand.

“Thank you for continuing to help normalize women of all shapes and sizes being beautiful and worthy of love!” one fan on Instagram praised.

“This woman is single handedly improving the fashion/beauty/sports industry,” another user exclaimed.

“You give me so much confidence in my own body. Thank you,” another commenter added.

“I'm 50 but I want to be Ilona when [I] grow up,” a fan chimed.

Following her stint in Miami, Maher chatted about her time walking the SI Swimsuit runway while a guest on the TODAY With Jenna and Friends show.

“I think somebody asked me, ‘Was it tough being in a swimsuit?’” Maher shared. “I love showing my body. I love showing what this body has done for me.”

Maher echoed this sentiment on Instagram, prefacing the launch of SI Swimsuit’s 2025 issue. For her first feature in print, she joined photographer Ben Watts in Bermuda—who also captured the model during her digital cover last September.

“For young Ilona wearing a bikini was once unthinkable but now I’d actually prefer to be prancing around in one,” she wrote on April 28. “Stay sexy, folks.”

Next. Olivia Dunne, Alix Earle. Olivia Dunne and Alix Earle Just Reunited at the Jersey Shore. dark

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Bailey Colon
BAILEY COLON

Bailey Colón is a writer on the Breaking and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit, Colón worked at the National Basketball Association where she served as a founding member of the ‘Starting 5’ newsletter and led editorial operations for the NBA App and dotcom. Colón is particularly passionate about the impact of athletics on popular culture, fashion and media. The New England native has a bachelor’s degree from Marist College in journalism and political science.

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