Shorter than supermodels, Olympic gymnasts are powerful additions to SI swimsuit issue

Aly Raisman and Simone Biles look good in dresses too. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

At 4 feet 9 and 5 feet 2, respectively, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman may not be as tall as the typical supermodels who grace the pages Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue, but their inclusion in next month’s edition shows the different ways beauty can be portrayed.

“Aly and Simone represent all that is beautiful and strong and inspiring in women today,” swimsuit edition editor MJ Day said Tuesday. “Women that are not only elite athletes . . . but strikingly sexy and beautiful in front of photographer James Macari’s lens.”

Five months after turning heads in #Rio, @Simone_Biles and @Aly_Raisman will make their #SISwim debut! pic.twitter.com/YQ8sOZtBrC

Sports Illustrated’s tweet elicited a mixed response with fans of the two, who last summer took home a combined six gold medals from the Rio Olympics, praising the women’s physiques, while others heaped on criticism. At issue, it appeared, for the haters is that the women don’t conform to a narrow definition of female beauty.

This is not…