Morgan to appear in body paint for SI

Sports Illustrated announced Friday that United States' Women's National Team forward Alex Morgan will be featured in the magazine's 2012 Swimsuit edition, sans swimsuit.

The 22-year-old who garnered national attention last summer with her performances in the Women's World Cup will be featured in bodypaint, with the first picture of her photoshoot posted to SI.com's Hot Clicks blog Friday morning.

Want more Morgan? Check out the first revealing pics via the Yardbarker network.

"Initially I was a little nervous," Morgan told the site, "but this opportunity doesn't come everyday."

"After the initial reaction of nerves, I was so excited to start shooting, and honored to be included with such an amazing group of athletes and models."

Over 1250 Twitter users retweeted Morgan's "Surprise" mid-day announcement that she would appear in the magazine.

"I think that athletes have amazing bodies, and my teammates are a great example. They work so hard day in and day out to compete at the highest level, and their bodies reflect their hard work."

Morgan scored four goals in as many appearances in the national team's January victory in CONCACAF's Olympic qualifying tournament. The result earned the United States entry into the 2012 London Olympics, where they enter the tournament as two-time defending champions.

In 31 appearances for the US, Morgan has scored 14 goals, including the opening goal of the 2011 Women's World Cup final against Japan.