Tokyo Olympian Abby Dahlkemper Lit Up Beaches of St. Lucia During Her SI Swimsuit Feature

The American athlete shone in bright swimwear and with a golden soccer ball in hand.

Martha Zaytoun | Aug 7, 2024

Abby Dahlkemper was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

For the first time since 2012, the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) has made it to the finals of the women’s Olympic soccer competition. With a 1-0 victory over Germany on Aug. 6, the squad secured a spot in the gold medal match—and a chance at a return to the top of the podium.

Between 1996 and 2012, the team won the gold medal at four out of the five Olympic games. But since 2012, they have struggled to keep up the same level of success. In 2016, they fell to Sweden in the quarterfinals. At the 2020 Tokyo games, they earned bronze after losing to Canada in the semis.

But on Aug. 10, they will have another shot at gold. With a win over Brazil, they will again secure the top spot on the podium. In the event of a loss, the squad is guaranteed silver.

With their success fresh on our mind, we can’t help but think of the incredible USWNT members who have graced the pages of the SI Swimsuit Issue over the years. Among the group is current Olympian Crystal Dunn, who will be fighting for gold on Saturday. It also includes icons Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Abby Dahlkemper, some of the best and brightest former Olympians.

The year was 2019. The four athletes traveled to St. Lucia for an incredibly vibrant coastal photo shoot ahead of their FIFA World Cup play. Their performances on the beach were just as inspiring as their on-pitch play. Dahlkemper, in particular, shone on set with her bright blonde hair and golden soccer ball in hand.

The San Diego Wave FC defender was a bright addition to the SI Swimsuit family. And, with our minds on soccer and the stars who have represented our country, we thought it was only fitting to highlight some of those especially vibrant photos from 2019. Here they are.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Published Aug 7, 2024

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.