AP’s top sports photos of the year are worth a close look

Zoom in. Sit back. And admire.

From the Paris Olympics to the Super Bowl. From Simone Biles to Shohei Ohtani. And, of course, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

Associated Press photographers documented all of the biggest sports events and moments in 2024.

Yet the year’s top images are not only about the most newsworthy results or the most famous athletes.

The image of Bulgarian gymnast Stiliana Nikolova performing at the Paris Games is a work of art.

The scene of Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds colliding with San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano is so full of action that you don’t know which part to look at first.

Sometimes the athlete hardly needs to be seen at all. Like with Kimberley Woods of Britain covered by a huge splash of water while competing in a kayak event at the Paris Games — identifiable only by the Union Jack on one of her paddles.

An illuminated baseball suspended in mid-air against the backdrop of a silhouette of an unnamed member of the Seattle Mariners lends a sense of mystery.

A red-clad Aryna Sabalenka hitting an airborne shot on the blue court of the Australian Open framed by the structure of the court’s roof belongs in a museum.

Noah Lyles appearing to leap higher than the heads of all of his competitors as he limbers up ahead of the 100-meter sprint at the Olympics is a sign of things to come.

Workers peeping through curtains to watch a tennis match at the China Open provide a feeling of curiosity.

There’s Mike Tyson and LeBron James. And who could leave out Swift kissing her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Kelce, after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports