Most iconic sports photos: 15 of the most memorable sports pictures ever captured

Professional sports photography freezes moments of incredible sportsmanship and talent, influencing history. Discover 15 of the most iconic sports photos that capture what is considered the greatest moments in sports history.

This article will rank some of the greatest pictures of power and strength in the human spirit. Dig in to explore iconic sports photos that reveal the intensity of competitive sporting activities.

Why is photography important in sports?

Sports elicit intense emotions such as joy, anger, frustration, and pure delight in fans and players. In the face of victory and defeat, the best sports images give fans a glimpse of players' split-second decisions and reactions to a game's outcomes.

15. Freetown Single Limb Amputee football team

Images of sports personalities exhibiting incredible human strength in the face of adversity tend to stimulate fans to achieve more extraordinary things. Images of the Freetown Single Limb Amputee football team elicited such a response. At the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone in 2002, the Single Leg Amputee Sports Association football team was created by a local pastor, Mamoudi Samai, giving the war survivors a new lease on life.

Although sports' movement and fluid nature make sports photography even more complicated, its presence creates a rhythmic effect in images. Some of the most iconic sports photos of all time capture intense movement in photography.

14. Sanibel Storm and jockey Julien Leparoux

About 100 metres from the finish line, Matt Goins captured an incredible moment just before the rider, Julien Leparoux, somersaulted off Sanibel Storm. Horse rider Leparoux, who walked off the track uninjured, rode in the next race despite the incident.

13. The Jos Verstappen fire

FI photographers Steven Tee and Bernd Weißbrod took some of the most shocking photos in sports history, capturing the moment Jos Verstappen's Ford car caught ablaze in a seemingly routine pitstop. Although the fire was put out seconds later, the images released on live television and print showed several members of the Benetton crew and Verstappen engulfed in the blaze.

12. Gymnast Nadia Comaneci

One of the best sports images of the greatest female Olympians of all time, Nadia Comaneci, was taken during the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. Comaneci, whose career ended with the most perfect 10 in gymnastics, made history in 1976 after the first aerial walkover and an aerial cartwheel-back handspring flight series at 14.

11. Pete Rose

Since 1989, famed Hit King Pete Rose received a lifetime ban from the MLB for laying wagers on the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team. As a result, despite being the only baseball player in MLB history to play 500 games in five different positions, the 17-time All-Star and three-time World Series championship holder has never been named to the MLB Hall of Fame.

According to Sports Illustrated, a similar image shot by Heinz Kluetmeier also captured the then-all-time hits leader mid-air as he dove into third base against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

10. Colin Kaepernick

One of the most memorable sports pictures in recent sporting history was captured when civil rights activist and NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem. Unfortunately, his actions made in protest towards racial injustice and police brutality received hostility, including losing his status as one of the most successful NFL players.

9. Usain Bolt

At a top speed of 9.58 seconds, Usain Bolt, famously known as the sprint king, broke the world 100 metres record. He also took gold in the 4x100 metres relay and 200 metres breaking the world record in all three events. Following his worldwide success, the world's fastest man became a sensation with his signature victory pose pictured after all his races.

8. Nadal vs Djokovic, 2011 US Open

In 2011, Djokovic became the second man to defeat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in one Grand Slam tournament. During the 2011 US Open, Djokovic broke 11 of Nadal's serves in what was considered the greatest tennis match ever played, earning himself his first US Open title.

7. Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield II

Initially, the June 1997 WBA Heavyweight Championship fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield was scheduled for the beginning of May of that year. During the fight, Tyson reported numerous headbutts that were ruled incidental by referee Mills Lane.

In the third round of the infamous 'Bite Fight', Mike Tyson bit off chunks of Holyfield's ear. Although Holyfield underwent a 90-minute ear restoration procedure, the ear was never fully reattached because of a missing piece.

6. Juan Marichal

San Francisco Giants baseball player Juan Marichal's fame grew following the release of two images. In one, the pitcher displayed a distinct windup routine featuring his signature high kick that brought the San Francisco Giants more than 20 wins and led Juan to the Hall of Fame. In addition, a nine-foot statue of the Dominican pitcher was dedicated in his honour at Oracle Park.

His second photo was shot during an infamous game against the Dodgers, capturing the moment when Juan Marichal hit John Roseboro with a bat. Although the two later became friends, tensions flew high in the August 1965 match between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers in what was considered the biggest MLB rivalry of the time.

5. Chloe Kim's 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics victory

At 17 years, Chloe Kim made history after becoming the youngest Olympic gold medalist and the first woman in Olympic history to win two halfpipe snowboarding gold medals. Although the halfpipe queen took a break from her career to focus on mental health, she returned to win gold at the 2022 Beijing winter games.

4. Tommie Smith and John Carlos' civil rights movement

Like several athletes today, sprint champions Tommie Smith and John Carlos protested racial injustice on a highly publicized platform during the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. The two stood on the podium in black socks without shoes to symbolize the poverty facing countless black Americans. Although only the two raised their fists in the Black Power salute, Peter Norman, the Australian silver medalist, also wore the Olympic Project for Human Rights badge in solidarity.

In an excerpt from Raise a Fist, Take a Knee: Race and the Illusion of Progress in Modern Sports, Tommy Smith recognized the cost Norman paid for his actions. He said,

3. Brandi Chastain's 1999 Women’s World Cup goal

The best sports image of all time was shot during the 1999 Women's World Cup final match between the US and China. Chastain, a last-minute replacement for the penalty-kick lineup, took the winning goal with her non-dominant foot redeeming herself from the embarrassing own-goal shot against Germany and earning a spot among football legends. The image of Chastain ripping her jersey in sheer elation made it to numerous front pages, including the cover of Sports Illustrated.

2. The USA gymnastics scandal

Several photographers shot the most iconic photos of the 21st century during the USA Gymnastics abuse scandal that began in 2014. Rachael Denhollander, in the image below, was later joined by famed gymnasts such as Simone Biles, Mckayla Maroney, and Ali Raisman braved stigma and shame, to testify against Olympic team doctor Larry Nasser accused of assaulting over 150 girls in his career.

1. Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston 2

At the start of the Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston rematch fight in 1965, Sports Illustrated photographer Neil Leifer took one of the best sports images ever. The shot captured the most dramatic moment in sports history when Ali knocked out Liston one minute and 44 seconds into the bout's first round.

The most iconic sports photos capture historical moments that have helped end oppressive sports policies, such as sports safety, abuse and racial injustice. In addition, the images of human endurance continue to inspire courage, tenacity and determination in millions of fans globally.

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Other Sports

Sportsbrief recently published an article ranking the world's most popular jersey number in numerous sports. Jerseys not only identify athletes but also inspire an attachment between athletes and fans.

Click on the link above to discover 10 of the most famous jerseys in basketball, baseball, racing, American football, hockey and soccer.