Caitlyn Jenner Nude On ‘Sports Illustrated’ Cover Reportedly Hitting Shelves Soon

The Caitlyn Jenner nude issue of Sports illustrated will be hitting the shelves this summer to celebrate the anniversary of her gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. According to Us Weekly, Jenner will be stripping down with just her gold medal and the American flag to cover her.

According to an Us Weekly source, it is the first time that Caitlyn Jenner will be photographed with her Olympic gold medal post-transition and “she’s excited about that.” Jenner has previously hidden her Olympic gold medal away, and a Huffington Post blog post written by Jenner in 2015 revealed the reason she does not proudly display her medal.

“My gold medal is my most-prized possession — I’m so proud of it. However, I never wanted my kids to feel like they had to have a gold medal in order to be considered a success. I didn’t want them to constantly compare their own achievements to my time in the Olympics, so I haven’t displayed my medal.”

Caitlyn Jenner nude on the cover of Sports Illustrated will coincide with the upcoming summer Olympics, which are set to be held in Rio de Janeiro and run from August 5 through to August 21. It will serve as a reminder as to where Caitlyn Jenner’s (going as Bruce Jenner at the time) fame originated from – winning the Olympic gold 40 years ago at the 1976 Montreal Games. It was a dramatic competition, seeing Jenner set several personal bests and a world-record score of 8,616 points to secure the gold. This led many to dub Jenner a national hero, and she was responsible for starting the Olympic trend of carrying a flag during a victory lap.

As a result of a dramatic victory, Caitlyn Jenner was named Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and won the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Caitlyn Jenner then stepped away from athletics, and she used her star appeal to launch a film and television career.

Caitlyn Jenner nude shoot for a summer edition of Sports Illustrated is an enormous announcement, and many will see it as a reinforcement of her being a powerful force in the transgender community. In June 2015, Caitlyn Jenner came out as a trans woman and stated that she had dealt with gender dysphoria for many years. For many, she has been a positive spokesperson for the transgender community due to her openness and the constant media attention surrounding her and her family.

This view of Caitlyn Jenner being a positive force in the transgender is not supported by everyone, however. FOX 32 reports that many supporters of transgender rights are furious with Jenner following her latest political comments. Jenner, a conservative Republican, praised Ted Cruz despite admitting that he was “probably one of the worst ones when it comes to trans issues”, via the Advocate. This caused an uproar within the LGBT community, with most viewing conservative Republicans as the opposition. Many took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

Doing my best to not send tweets to a woman I respect for her courage, but dang it, @Caitlyn_Jenner you're killing me with Cruz support!

— Chely Wright (@chelywright) March 3, 2016

No @Caitlyn_Jenner , as a proud #trans Texan, we do not need another TX Republican, especially Ted Cruz, in the White House

— Monica Roberts (@TransGriot) March 3, 2016

Meanwhile, Mara Keisling, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, claimed that it was inevitable that transgender individuals will be diverse with the growing number coming out, via FOX 32.

“Trans people need to buckle up. With all the folks who will be coming out in the next few years, you’re not going to agree with all of them.”

Caitlyn Jenner nude on the cover of Sports Illustrated will no doubt stir more controversy, something that Jenner and the Kardashians are constantly shrouded in. While there is no doubt that they will continue to dominate the headlines this summer, Caitlyn Jenner nude on the cover of Sports Illustrated is sure to be one of the bigger stories and a reminder of where her fame came from after an unforgettable performance in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]