LONDON 2012: Discus hope Okoye recreates iconic 1948 Olympic poster

BRITISH discus thrower Lawrence Okoye stripped down on his bare essentials on a chilly autumn day to recreate the 1948 Olympic poster.

ICONIC: Discus hope Lawrence Okoye recreates 1948 Olympic poster outside London's Houses of Parliament 

The striking image from the Austerity Games is one of Olympic collectors favourites and has set the bar high for the 12 artistic luminaries - including Brit art queen Tracey Emin - responsible for next year's London 2012 posters.

Okoye, who quit a promising rugby career to focus on athletics, missed the recent World Championships after a disastrous performance at the trials but the 20-year old, ranked ninth in the world in 2011, is still aiming high for for next year.

“The 1948 image is incredibly striking and it was an honour to help recreate this shot and I love how it’s turned out," he said.

"I’ll be getting a copy framed for the house – hopefully this time next year it’ll be on the mantelpiece alongside a gold medal!”

Okoye's picture, which was commissioned by London 2012 airline partner British Airways, will now form part of a limited edition calendar, which is available via their Facebook page.

© Sportsbeat 2011