Great journalism without brilliant photography is like Christmas dinner without roast potatoes.
Getty Images’ team of award-winning photographers covered more than 50,000 sports events in 2025, from grassroots tournaments watched by a few dozen fans to World Cups seen by millions around the globe.
BBC Sport brings you the best sports photos of the past 12 months – and the photographers explain the stories behind them.
Ever wondered how you get a picture at the top of the pole vault? What is a ‘star filter’? And how much does luck play a part in capturing amazing images?
There’s a bonus point if you can spot the photographer in their own photo…
Image source, Getty Images
Christian Petersen: It was an honour to be part of the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, where I set out to capture unique images and fresh perspectives. Noah Lyles’ signature pre-race vertical leap inspired me to shoot from high above and behind, creating a new view that highlighted the graphic lines of the track. I was very happy with the result.
Image source, Getty Images
Adam Pretty: I took this picture at the relatively new Surftown wave pool in Munich, where some elite French Polynesian surfers had booked private training sessions. Athletes use the pool to focus on training specific manoeuvres and aerials on the perfectly consistent man-made wave.
I photographed Aelan Vaast, the sister of 2024 Olympic surfing gold medallist Kauli Vaast, as she performed a layback hack on the final section of the wave. The image was shot in the early morning before the sun was up. I used a flash to create the silhouette of her against the bright blue water of the pool and the spray she was throwing with her massive turn.
Image source, World Rugby/Getty Images
Molly Darlington: I took this photo after the Women’s Rugby World Cup final in the winners’ studio, when the emotions were high and the players were super excited. It is my favourite photo I took from the tournament. Zoe Aldcroft and head coach John Mitchell are a perfect combination, summing up what it feels like to win the World Cup. What you can’t see in the picture is all the players and staff who piled into the dressing room, throwing confetti and streamers and cheering them on. It was a special moment.
Image source, Getty Images
Mahmoud Khaled: I am always searching for grassroots football tournaments in Egypt’s villages and working-class neighbourhoods, where spontaneity meets pure passion. The Al-Qudah tournament in Sharqia was one of the most impressively organised I have seen, almost like a professional league match: huge crowds, co-ordinated team entrances, players from the lower divisions, and even referees who officiate in the Egyptian Premier League.
What I love most is the journey itself, from discovering the story to reaching the place. The real reward comes afterward, seeing the joy on people’s faces when they see their photos published.
This frame was taken during the final, capturing the moment a player from Al-Ghaba takes a penalty in the shootout after a 22 draw. Al-Numan eventually lifted the trophy.
Image source, Getty Images
Pool photo: The image – taken during the most exciting competition of the World Athletics Championships – illustrates Sweden’s superstar Armand Duplantis’ dominance in the pole vault final.
A tiny camera, no bigger than a pack of cards, was mounted next to the support for the bar, and a customised technical solution allowed the photographer to trigger it remotely and receive the frame live on his laptop within seconds.
Duplantis cleared 6.30m in this competition, broke the world record for the 14th time and secured his third world title. It is an exceptional achievement by the athlete and a fantastic piece of work by the photographer to capture the very best at the peak of the action.
Matthias Hangst, Getty Images director of content
Image source, International Skating Union/Getty Images
Dean Mouhtaropoulos: Living in the Netherlands, I am lucky to cover speed skating, one of our national sports, although most of it is indoors.
This event was near the Dolomites in Italy. Shooting such dynamic and talented athletes in an outdoor setting is a photographer’s dream. A nearby building cast an afternoon shadow over the track. Once I spotted it, I quickly ran up the stand, hoping the clouds would not reappear. Some fans watching, plus my shadow, left a nice shape on the ice, leaving me to wait for the skaters to enter the frame.
Image source, Getty Images
Emilee Chinn: Geordie Beamish is shown going down after getting caught in the congestion of the early laps of the 3,000m steeplechase at the World Championships.
Along with capturing the split second another runner’s foot connected with his face during the fall, what makes this image so powerful and moving to me is that Beamish got up, finished second in the heat, and went on to win the gold medal. Moments like this are what make sports photography so rewarding, reminding us how resilience can turn a setback into something remarkable.
Image source, Velo/Getty Images
Dario Belingheri: An unusual moment through the Tuscan hills during the one-day race Strade Bianche, where the gravel sectors and dust are its distinctive beauty. I was a bit lucky to catch the right moment when a train passes next to the peloton in a cloud of dust, so it is perfectly blended with nature.
Image source, Getty Images
Cameron Spencer: As the northern hemisphe
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