The 50 Prettiest Faces in Sports

It's pretty much a given that a professional athlete is going to have an impressive physique. After all, that's pretty much one of the major requirements of the job, is it not? 

Actually, the same thing goes for WAGs and sports personalities as well. In their case, it might not be an absolute requirement of the position, but it sure wouldn't hurt matters for all parties involved. 

Considering the the field, requiring an athletic physique is a pretty reasonable demand. At least that is something that is entirely within one's control. Unfortunately, being stunningly gorgeous is not within our control. 

Let's take a look at the 50 most beautiful faces in sports. 

50. Sandra Gal

Image via SandraGal.com

German golfer Sandra Gal joined the LPGA Tour in 2008 and has one tour win since then. Gal was named the hottest female golfer in GolfDigest.com's inaugural Hottest Golfer Contests in January 2012. 

49. Sanya Richards-Ross

Image via ESPN

Sanya Richards-Ross is a three-time Olympic medalist sprint athlete who will be competing for the U.S. at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

She is married to Jaguars cornerback Aaron Ross and the couple's 2010 wedding was featured on an episode of Platinum Weddings. 

48. Maria Kirilenko

Image via SI

Russian tennis player Maria Kirilenko has been playing professionally since 2002 and is currently ranked No. 15 in the world by the WTA.

Kirilenko has been dating Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, star forward for the Washington Capitals, since November 2011. 

47. Miesha Tate

Image via Facebook.com/pages/Miesha-Tates-Fan-Page

Miesha Tate is a rising star in MMA and is currently ranked as the No. 6 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, according to MMARising.com.

Tate suffered a severe arm injury in a submission loss to Ronda Rousey in March 2012, but she hopes to be cleared to fight again before the end of the year. 

46. Lolo Jones

Image via @LoloJones

Lolo Jones was the favorite to take gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but a last-minute stumble cost her a medal.

Jones qualified for the same event at the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials, so she'll have an opportunity at redemption at the Summer Games in London. 

45. Rebecca Grant

Image via Rebecca Grant

Buffalo native Rebecca Grant got her start in sports broadcasting as the host of the Buffalo Bills NFL Show on the Empire Sports Network.

Grant moved on to stints at ESPN and FOX Sports before switching gears and focusing on her acting career in Los Angles. 

44. Lani Doherty

Image via surf.transworld.net

Lani Doherty is a professional surfer from Hawaii who has been competing in surf contests since she was seven years old.

Doherty has dropped off the map for almost a year in terms of media coverage and social networking presence, but she was still competing as of June 2011. 

43. Blanka Vlasic

Image via blanka-vlasic.hr

Blanka Vlasic is a Croatian high jumper who has won well over a dozen medals (most of them gold) in international competition, including a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Vlasic was hoping to return to the 2012 Games in London, but an Achilles injury has put her status in jeopardy. 

42. Alexis D. Augusto

Image via Maxim

Alexis Augusto is an ice dancer for the NHL's Florida Panthers and a former cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins.

Augusto is an aspiring sports broadcaster, a Jets fan and one of the finalists for Maxim's 2013 Hometown Hotties competition. 

41. Julia Mancuso

Image via Facebook.com/JuliaMancusoUSA

Julia Mancuso is a Alpine ski racer on the U.S. Ski Team whose three Olympic medals, including gold in the women's Giant Slalom event at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, are the most ever for an American woman.

Known as "Super Jules" by her teammates and admirers, the accomplished skier is appropriately dating champion Norse alpine skier Aksel Lund Svindal.

40. Leilani Munter

Image via Facebook.com/leilanimunter

Leilani Munter is an American race car driver who has competed in the development league of IndyCar and as a stock car driver in the NASCAR Elite division. Munter currently drives in the ARCA Racing Series. 

39. Tanyka Renee

Image via gramfeed.com/jockintanyka

Tanyka Renee played offensive and defensive line for the Philadelphia Passion in the (potentially defunct) Lingerie Football League.

Off the field, Renee is a model, nutritionist and fitness expert who is passionately devoted to a healthy lifestyle. 

38. Kelsi Reich

Image via DallasCowboysCheerleaders.com

Kelsi Reich spent four years as a member of the famed Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad before saying goodbye after the 2011-12 season.

Reich was already among the most recognizable cheerleaders in the NFL, even before she made national news after receiving a game ball and a hug from boyfriend David Nelson, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, during a game in November 2011. 

37. Michelle Waterson

Image via CageTalk

Michelle Waterson is a female mixed martial artist who made a splash after competing in Oxygen network's MMA reality show "Fight Girls."

The diminutive Thai-American beauty is often called the "Karate Hottie" and is currently the fifth ranked atomweight female fighter in the world.

36. Nastia Liukin

Image via nastialiukin.com

Nastia Liukin was the darling of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, winning the team silver in addition to the gold all-around, silver on the uneven bars, silver on the balance beam and bronze on the floor exercise.

Liukin's attempt at a comeback failed dismally at the 2012 Olympic trials, but her epic performance in Beijing will never be forgotten. 

35. Arianny Celeste

Image via Facebook.com/pages/Arianny-Celeste

Arianny Celeste is the most beloved ring girl in all of MMA and the three-time winner of the sport's Ring Girl of the Year honors.

Celeste is an Octagon Girl for UFC who has appeared in various magazines, including: Maxim, FHM, Sports Illustrated and Playboy. 

34. Kim Glass

Image via SI

A member of the U.S. National Women's Volleyball Team since 2007, the multi-talented Kim Glass not only helped the U.S. team win silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she's also appeared in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Raised in Lancaster, Pa., Glass earned a scholarship to the University of Arizona's women's volleyball team, where she was named the 2002 American Volleyball Coaches Association Freshman of the Year and was a four-time All Pac-10 player.

33. Lauren Tannehill

Image via BustedCoverage

When Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill was selected by the Miami Dolphins early in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, it was his gorgeous wife Lauren that seemed to make most of the headlines.

Lauren is an aspiring model and the Dolphins will be featured in HBO's Hard Knocks in 2012, so we'll probably be hearing a lot more from her. 

32. Kimiko Zakreski

Image via Facebook.com/KimikoZakreski

Kimiko Zakreski is a Canadian snowboarder who competed for in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Zabreski has been featured on the MTV Canada series Summer Sessions with various other extreme sports participants and competes on the FIS Snowboard World Cup tour.

31. Ana Ivanovic

Image via anaivanovic.com

Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic has been playing professionally since 2003 and is currently ranked No. 12 in the world by the WTA.

Ivanovic has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Australian pro golfer Adam Scott.

30. Bruna Schmitz

Image via Facebook.com/pages/Bruna-Schmitz-Oficial

Bruna Schmitz grew up surfing in the small town of Matinhos, Brazil. Schmitz went pro at the age of 15 and within just two years earned a sot on the ASP World Tour.

She was featured in the 2011 edition of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

29. Allyson Felix

Image via AllysonFelix.com

U.S. track and field sprint athlete Allyson Felix recently made headlines when her teammate Jeneba Tarmoh made a controversial decision to pull out of a run-off to determine who would represent the U.S. team in the 200 meter event at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

However, Felix deserves the spot on her own merits, having already earned a gold in the women's 4 x 400 meter relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

28. Ashley

Image via Bruce Yeung Photography

Ashley is a two-year veteran of the Arizona Cardinals cheerleader squad and represented the team at the 2012 Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

Ashley is a long-time gymnast and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Kinesiology. 

27. Laura Lepisto

Image via Facebook.com/LepistoLaura

Laura Lepisto is a Finnish figure skater who has medaled in a number of international competitions, including taking gold at the 2009 European Championships in Helsinki.

Lepisto suffered an Achilles injury in 2010, the setbacks from which were the reason she announced her retirement in 2012. 

26. Maria Sharapova

Image via mariasharapova.com

Russian beauty Maria Sharapova has been competing professionally since 2002 and has been ranked among the best female players in the world since winning at Wimbledon in 2004.

Sharapova has been one of the preeminent sex symbols in sports for nearly a decade and will likely break a few hearts when she marries Sasha Vujacic in fall 2012. 

25. Duyen

Image via HoustonTexans.com

Duyen is a four-year veteran of the Houston Texans cheerleading squad and is Miss February in the Texans cheerleader 2011-2012 calendar.

Duyen is a Pharmacology major in college and her favorite player is Andre Johnson.

24. Alex Morgan

Image via Facebook.com/AlexMorganSoccer

Alex Morgan plays striker for the U.S. women's national soccer team and in 2011, at age 22, was the youngest member of the FIFA World Cup team that finished second to Japan.

Morgan is one of the standout stars of the team and appeared in a body-paint bikini in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She'll also be competing for the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics in London.

23. Eve Torres

Image via Poptower

Eve Torres got her start after being discovered in the 2007 WWE Diva Search, filling various on-camera roles before becoming a full-time wrestler in 2009.

Torres, known on WWE as just "Eve," is currently part of the Raw crew and serves as Executive Administrator of Raw and SmackDown.

22. Gabrielle Union

Image via Zimbio

Actress Gabrielle Union is well known from her starring roles in movie and television productions such as Bring it On, Flash Forward and Bad Boys II.

But these days Union is best known as the girlfriend, and courtside fixture, of Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade. 

21. Lindsay M.

Image via AtlantaFalcons.com

Atlanta Falcons cheerleader Lindsay M. graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a degree in marketing and is a two-year veteran of the squad.

Although, despite spending a few years in Hawaii for college, Lindsay, a fitness enthusiast, never learned to surf. 

20. Kaylyn Kyle

Image via Facebook.com/pages/Kaylyn-Kyle

Kaylyn Kyle is a Canadian soccer player who plays professionally for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, as well as the Canadian women's national soccer team.

Kyle has been playing professionally since 2006 and was a member of Canada's national team in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

19. Christine Vest

Image via Facebook.com/TheOfficialChristineVest

Christine Vest is an aspiring musician, singer/songwriter who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Vest has been dating disgruntled Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard since early 2011.

The couple were rumored to have gotten engaged in early 2012, but no official confirmations have come from either camp…yet. 

18. Brittney Palmer

Image via BrittneyPalmer.com

UFC Octagon girl Brittney Palmer is one of the hottest ring girls in all of MMA—no small accomplishment considering the caliber of hottie the position attracts.

Palmer isn't just another pretty face, although she has appeared in Playboy twice, she's also a self-taught artist and currently attending art school at UCLA.

17. Gisele Bundchen

Image via Zimbio

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen has been married to Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady since 2009 and the couple have one child.

Brady may be one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, but Bundchen is on pace to become the world's first billionaire model. 

16. Alicia Sacramone

Image via stephanieseliskar.files

American gymnast Alicia Sacramone has been competing in international competition for the U.S. since 2003.

She has racked up over two dozen medals in various competitions,16 of which were gold, including an all-around team silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Sacramone had been dating Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Brady Quinn since late 2009.

15. Beyonce

Image via Facebook.com/beyonce

Singer Beyonce Knowles is one of the most famous singers in the world and was named on of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time' on a VH1 special in 2010.

Beyonce has been together with Brooklyn Nets co-owner Jay-Z since 2003 and the pair were married in April 2008.

14. Corissa Furr

Image via Facebook.com/ModelCorissaFurr

In recent years, the stunning Corissa Furr has been featured in magazines such as Maxim and FHM and on shows such as SpikeTV's MANswers and HBO's Entourage.

In 2011, Furr won the Strikeforce Knockout Ring Girl Contest and has been involved with MMA ever since. 

13. Kate Upton

Image via Facebook.com/kateuptonweb

Kate Upton went from up and coming model to straight up superstar when she landed the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2012.

Upton was linked to Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez in November 2011, but their coupling was never officially confirmed.

In July 2012, Upton was "officially rumored" to be linked to Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, but still no official confirmation. 

12. Guo Jingjing

Image via Facebook.com/pages/郭晶晶GUO-Jingjing

Chinese diver Guo Jingjing has won more Olympic medals than any other female diver in the world, including two golds in the women's 3m springboard and 3m synchronized springboard at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. 

Jingjing retired in 2011 and has made waves in the Hong Kong and mainland China tabloids because of her engagement to Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, grandson of the late Hong Kong billionaire Henry Fok.

11. Erica Hosseini

Image via EricaHosseini.com

Erica Hosseini is a professional surfer from Newport Beach, Calif. She has been competing in the sport since the age of 13 and her first big win came at the OP Pro in 2004.

Hosseini has been working towards earning a spot on the World Championship Tour for a few years and is sponsored by, among others, Jose Cuervo. 

10. Irina Shayk

Image via Facebook.com/IrinaShayk

Irina Shayk is a Russian bombshell and model, who has appeared on the 2011 cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. 

She keeps the international tabloid press busy by gallivanting around the globe with boyfriend, and Real Madrid superstar striker, Cristiano Ronaldo.

9. Malia Jones

Image via Maxim

Malia Jones is an American model and surfer who was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and named one of Esquire's "10 Sexiest Athletes."

Jones is married to Australian surfer Luke Stedman, but the couple is currently separated.

8. Melanie Collins

Image via Melanie-Collins.com

Melanie Collins, who was once called "The next Erin Andrews," currently works as a studio host for College Sports TV.

Collins' broadcasting resume includes stints at the Big Ten Network, NBA-TV and E! Entertainment.

7. Leryn Franco

Image via Facebook.com/Lerynfranco

Leryn Franco is a Paraguayan track and field athlete, specializing in the javelin throw, that gained international attention at the 2008 preliminaries in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In addition to being an athlete, Franco is an accomplished model and former beauty queen who was the runner-up at the Miss Universo Paraguay pageant in 2006. 

6. Brooklyn Decker

Image via Zimbio

Brooklyn Decker is a model and actress who appeared on the 2010 cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and played a supporting role in the big-budget summer bust Battleship.

Decker married U.S. tennis pro Andy Roddick in April 2009.

5. Roberta Mancino

Image via Facebook.com/pages/Mancino-Roberta

Roberta Mancino is an Italian adrenaline junkie who is best known as a record breaking BASE jumper and wingsuit flyer.

Mancino also finds plenty of part-time work as a model and was named the World's Sexiest Female Athlete by Men's Fitness magazine in 2010. 

4. Lauren Gardner

Image via LauraDGardner.com

The luscious Lauren Gardner is a former Denver Broncos cheerleader who has traded in her pom-poms in favor of a career in sports broadcasting.

Gardner has worked as an on-air host for various sports outlets in Denver in the past, but most recently has been covering the Lingerie Football League for MTV. 

3. Adriana Lima

Image via Zimbio

Adrian Lima is the ubiquitous super model best known as one of the sexiest and most recognizable of Victoria's Secret Angels.

The exotic, smoky-eyed Brazilian beauty is married to ghoulish Serbian basketball player Marko Jarić, having sanctified their unnatural coupling on Valentine's Day 2009.

2. Kiira Korpi

Image via Facebook.com/pages/Kiira-Korpi

Kiira Korpi is a Finnish figure skater who has medaled in several European competitions, including bronzes at the 2007 European Championship and 2009 Winter Universiade. 

Because of her striking resemblance to Grace Kelly, the Finnish beauty is often called the "Ice Princess."

1. Sara Carbonero

Image via Zimbio

Sara Carbonero is a Spanish sports journalist and TV presenter for Telecinco.

Carbonero is engaged to goalkeeper Iker Casillas, of the Spanish national team, and was blamed for distracting him during Spain's loss to Switzerland during the 20120 FIFA World Cup.