The claws are out among sexy models Irina Shayk, Anne Vyalitsyna, Julie Henderson, Christine Teigen and Brooklyn Decker — the front-runners battling tooth-and-nail for the cover of this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, one of the most coveted jobs a model can land.
“The girls can get catty over it because everybody wants it. The cover makes you a household name. Any model who wants to make herself a brand knows this is what you need to do,” said one fashion insider.
PHOTOS: CATTY ATTACK OVER S.I. COVER
Sources said Russian beauty Shayk, girlfriend of soccer stud Cristiano Ronaldo, and Victoria’s Secret model Vyalitsyna — who models under the name “Anne V” and is dating Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine — are favorites for this year’s cover. Shayk was on the cover of the S.I. swimsuit DVD last year, and Anne V has been featured in the issue for seven years running.
While Shayk was away modeling, Decker, Anne V and Teigen, who’s dating John Legend, took the chance to schmooze S.I. bosses by showing up at their Super Bowl bash in Dallas last Friday.
Decker, who’s married to Andy Roddick, became a star after landing last year’s cover and is in the new movie “Just Go With It,” with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. Only a few supermodels, including Kathy Ireland and Christie Brinkley, have landed multiple covers, but sources say Decker has been such a hit that she could be back.
S.I. keeps the cover under lock and key until Monday’s announcement. But insiders said editors consider market research on which lady gets the best response from a sample of readers.
“Brooklyn was perfect because she’s all-American, gives great interviews and is married to a celebrity sportsman,” said one source. “The magazine wants girls who are media-savvy and can speak well.”
An S.I. rep would only say, “This is the most exciting and surprising group of models we’ve had in the last several years.”
Ten of the issue’s 17 models are booked for “Late Show With David Letterman” on Feb. 14, when they’ll read the Top 10 list and unveil the cover.