AP sports photos of the year capture unforgettable snippets in time from the games we love
Bokai Huang, of China, competes in the Men’s pole vault final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
They are snippets in time, unforgettable snapshots that gloriously capture the soaring euphoria and gut-wrenching agony of the games we love, not to mention the randomness of a moment that might’ve gone unnoticed otherwise.
There are the Kansas City Chiefs, dunking head coach Andy Reid with a jug-full of frigid drink after their stirring Super Bowl triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles, fulfilling what has become a rite of passage in all gridiron celebrations.
And the Vegas Golden Knights, gathered in a giant group hug behind the net after capturing the NHL’s Stanley Cup championship, the glittering ice beneath their skates littered with discarded gloves.
Inter Milan’s Edin Dzeko is challenged by AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori, top, during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Inter Milan and AC Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Then there’s Femke Bol, a track athlete from the Netherlands, tumbling toward the track with a gasp of disbelief across her face, the baton slipping from her grasp as she falls near the finish line of a relay race at the world championships.
And Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, smashing a golf club across his leg like a child trying to snap a tree limb in half, the frustration evident after an errant shot from the thick rough at the U.S. Open.
But let’s not forget Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, her braided ponytail soaring above her head as she whacks a serve at the Wimbledon tennis championships.
Terence Crawford, right, hits Errol Spence Jr. during their undisputed welterweight championship boxing match, Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
And Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, captured in another close-up at the very instant that a foul ball smashed off his mask during an otherwise ho-hum game in the midst of summer at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Sure, we’re all intrigued by the most notable among us, whether it’s singer Taylor Swift cheering from a football luxury suite or Britain’s King Charles III letting out a gasp from the royal box at the Royal Ascot horse racing meet.
But countless moments give us the full picture.
Thanks to the photographers of The Associated Press, so many of them will remain a timeless part of our memories.
Alexis Holmes, of the United States anchors her team to the gold medal as Femke Bol, of the Netherlands fell near the finish in the final of the 4x400-meters mixed relay during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken of Germany celebrate winning the men’s doubles race at the Luge World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas plays a shot against Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a shot against Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, June 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Rory McIlroy reacts after his shot from the rough on the 14th hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Los Angeles Country Club on Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A runner competes in the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
Brazil’s Geovanna Santos competes in the gymnastics rhythmic individual ball final at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Players from Bourton Rovers compete during the annual traditional River Windrush soccer match, which has been taking place for over 100 years, in the Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water, England, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. The event sees two teams of six from Bourton Rovers Football Club play a 30 minute soccer match in the usually calm river water. Goalposts are set up in the river and players attempt to score as many goals as possible, whilst getting all spectators as wet as possible in the process. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Britain’s Jake Dixon celebrates on the podium after winning the Moto 2 race of the Catalunya Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, just outside of Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Chile’s players take part in a scrum during a warm up prior to the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Samoa and Chile at the Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Simone Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and the 2016 Olympic champion, practices on the uneven bars at the U.S. Classic gymnastics competition Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Gold medalists China’s Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi take part in the Free Routine segment of the Artistic Swimming Women’s Duet competition at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina deflects a shot by Inter Miami forward Leonardo Campana during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Argentine Boca Juniors fans gather on Copacabana beach the day before their team faces Brazil’s Fluminense at the Copa Libertadores championship match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Taylor Swift watches from a suite during the first half of an NFL football Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The pack rides during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is dunked after their win against the Philadelphia Eagles at the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Chris Blowes, of Australia, duck-dives under a wave during the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships in Oceanside, Calif., on Sept. 8, 2023. More than 100 athletes with disabilities from 17 countries competed in the event. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz steals home with Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras covering during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
People enter Vila Belmiro stadium where Pele, the late Brazilian soccer great lies in state in Santos, Brazil, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Fans known as “The Richies” cheer as Australia’s Usman Khawaja celebrates with making 100 runs against South Africa during the second day of their cricket test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. “The Richies” are an homage to former Australian cricket player and broadcasting legend Richie Benaud. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho scores his side’s first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester United, at Goodison Park Stadium, in Liverpool, England, Sunday , Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain’s King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, right, react as they watch a race at day two of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, England, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor is hit on the mask by a ball fouled off by Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Josh Awotunde blows away a bug as he competes in the men’s shot put during the U.S. track and field championships in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
US players wait for a corner kick during the Women’s World Cup Group E soccer match between Portugal and the United States at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Cornaga)
China’s Feng Yan Zhe, right, and Huang Dong Ping celebrate after defeating China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin during their mixed doubles final match in the Indonesia Masters badminton tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Racers in T-Rex costumes participate in the first set of heats during the “T-Rex World Championship Races” at Emerald Downs, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023, in Auburn, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
The wooden tee of United States’ Cheyenne Knight bounces up after she plays her shot from the 9th tee during the afternoon fourball match at the Solheim Cup golf tournament in Finca Cortesin, near Casares, southern Spain, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (21) reaches for a one-yard touchdown run against the New Orleans Saints during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova serves to Serbia’s Natalija Stevanovic in a women’s singles match on day six of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Spain’s Salma Paralluelo lies on the ground with her medal at the end of the Women’s World Cup soccer final between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Spain won 1-0. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez laughs as teammate Teoscar Hernández douses him as they celebrate a 9-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Sha’Carri Richardson, of the United States, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the final of the Women’s 100-meters during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
A security guard tries to separate a boy who hugs India’s captain Rohit Sharma, right, after invading the field of play during the second one-day international cricket match between India and New Zealand in Raipur, India, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a forehand return to compatriot Bernarda Pera during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Peru’s Jose Sanchez, left, and Colombia’s Jorge Cabezas, battle for the ball during a South America U-20 soccer match in Cali, Colombia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim is bowled out by New Zealand’s Matt Henry during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Chennai , India, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Lazio’s goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, right, scores his side’s opening goal during a Champions League group E soccer match between Lazio and Atletico Madrid, at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay circuit, Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Euro 2024 group J qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Slovakia at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
Gabriela Dabrowski, of Canada, right, and Erin Routliffe, of New Zealand, return a shot during the women’s doubles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Laura Siegemund, of Germany, and Vera Zvonareva, of Russia, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Members of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after they defeated the Florida Panthers 9-3 to win the Stanley Cup in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
South Africa’s Jesse Kriel, right, and South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth celebrate after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won the match 12-11. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course on her way to win an alpine ski, women’s World Cup giant slalom, in Kronplatz, Italy, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. American skier Mikaela Shiffrin won a record 83rd World Cup race Tuesday. Shiffrin’s giant slalom victory broke a tie on the all-time women’s list with former American teammate Lindsey Vonn. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
The Europe team led by Europe’s Team Captain Luke Donald, center, lift the Ryder Cup after winning it at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, left, hands the ball to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James after passing Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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Paul Newberry is a national sports writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected] ___
