Olympic Swimmer Natalie Coughlin Wows in These 5 Bodypaint Photos

The athlete posed in an artistic blue monokini for the 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue.

Ananya Panchal | Jul 26, 2024

Natalie Coughlin was photographed by Kayt Jones in New York. / Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Professional swimmer Natalie Coughlin looked like a total natural posing for the 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue. The UC Berkeley alumna participated in a bodypaint feature with photographer Kayt Jones and talented makeup artist Joanne Gair, who created a super cool, unique blue tie-dye monokini on the athlete’s stunning, sculpted figure.

The 41-year-old, who is a 12-time Olympic medalist for Team USA, competed in the ’04, ’08 and ’12 games, and now serves as the vice-chair for USA Swimming’s Board of Directors. In 2025, she will take on a four-year role as Board Chair for the organization.

“When I was asked to do the bodypaint for Sports Illustrated, I was so excited. I didn’t even think twice about saying yes,” the Vallejo, Calif., native, who is a Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame inductee, shared while on set in a New York studio. “I was surprised how long the bodypaint took. I think it ended up taking 12 hours. I was just mesmerized by the whole process. It flew by. As more of the layers got brought in and the different colors, it really brought the image of the water through.”

Today, Coughlin, who is a World Swimmer of the Year Award winner, is a mom to two kids, Ozzie and Zennie, whom she shares with husband Ethan Hall. The Dancing with the Stars alumna posed for the cover of 2015’s ESPN The Magazine The Body Issue, as well as the front of the July/August Self magazine Olympics issue the following year.

Below are five beautiful photos of the athlete from her 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue feature.

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Published Jul 26, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.