Victoria Pendleton “Topless” curves with Zara Dampney for GQ

They have been training furiously ahead of the Olympic Games and their bodies are at peak performance. So it's no wonder gold medal hopes Victoria Pendleton and Zara Dampney are happy show off the impressive physiques that will be powering them to glory later this month.

'I’ve been beasting it in the gym just trying to get bigger,' Victoria said of her decision to pose naked in this month's GQ magazine.

'I have done a few sexy photoshoots. I’ve been told I’ve got a nice bum, plus when I compete I am wearing a skinsuit, so really what’s the difference?'

Powerful: Victoria Pendleton says she has been 'beasting it' in the gym to get bigger in time for the Games

'I wear a skintight suit to compete, so what's the difference?' Victoria Pendleton says her cycling kit leaves little to the imagination

The petite athlete already has an Olympic gold from Beijing, nine World Championship gold medals, a European Championship win, plus a Commonwealth title - and she is tipped for great success for London 2012 in the three events she will compete in.

For beach volleyball star Zara Dampney, posing naked - her first time - was a nervewracking experience.

'I was so nervous before the shoot,' she admits. 'I didn’t really know what to expect so I was apprehensive about what it would feel like.'

Intensive training: Volleyball star Zara Dampney has been putting in hours of practice in the hope of securing a medal this summer

Beach babes: Zara, far right, with teammates (l-r) Denise Johns, Lucy Bolton and Shauna Mullin, hope to take gold this summer

'I had my best friend with me for support so that made things much easier. She was there easing my nerves.'

Zara says the worst thing about competing is not the arduous training schedule or the strict diet she has to follow - but the gruelling grooming sessions she must undergo to look good in the standard-issue bikinis all beach volleyball players wear as standard.

Fortunately, the athlete has a hair removal sponsor - the Harley Medical Group - who had offered her laser sessions to keep her skin hair-free.

And while she was nervous ahead of the shoot, she's comfortable with her figure - for the most part.
'I really like my legs,' she says. 'They are long and have shape, which I think is nice for a girl. But I hate my feet. They are just ugly.'

Read the interviews in full in the August issue of GQ magazine, on sale now

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