2024 in pictures: Best sporting moments of the year
Reuters
The moon is pictured with the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic GamesKai Pfaffenbach / Reuters
In a year marked by sporting brilliance, champions old and new captivated audiences and pushed the limits of human endurance. Reuters photographers were on hand to capture some of the most memorable moments.
The stand-out event of the year was the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris from July to September, where the City of Love's iconic landmarks provided a spectacular backdrop for the sport.
French swimmer Leon Marchand, US gymnast Simone Biles, and Dutch runner Sifan Hassan were some of the stars whose remarkable performances will be remembered for years to come, while a gender eligibility dispute involving boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting sparked some controversy at the quadrennial event.
The fastest man on Earth was American Noah Lyles, edging out his competitors in the closest-ever Olympics 100-metre final by five thousandths of a second. The world's best surfers rode their waves to glory in Tahiti, some 16,000 km (10,000 miles) from Paris.
From Reuters, 67 photographers were on Olympics duty - the agency's most diverse team ever assembled for a major event, with a near 50-50 gender split and photographers from five continents.
The ever-popular sport of football still managed to capture headlines over a busy summer. Spain triumphed at Euro 2024, beating England in the final, and Lionel Messi's Argentina made history as they won a record 16th Copa America title. Manchester City won their fourth straight Premier League title and Liverpool fans said a sad farewell to their popular manager Jurgen Klopp.
In tennis, one of the sport's all-time greats, Spain's Rafael Nadal, bid an emotional farewell, while Italy's Jannik Sinner experienced a year of highs and lows, winning two Grand Slam titles but also grappling with the fallout from a failed doping test. He was cleared of wrongdoing.
In the world of motorsport, Charles Leclerc celebrated a boyhood dream by winning Formula 1's showcase Monaco Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen went on to win a fourth straight Formula 1 championship. Francesco Bagnaia was unable to defend his MotoGP crown and finished second-best in a thrilling battle with Jorge Martin.
Here are some of those stories and more on camera:
Simone Biles of United States reacts after her performanceHannah McKay / ReutersColombia's Victor Ortega Serna in action during the men's 27mEvgenia Novozhenina / ReutersFerrari's Charles Leclerc jumps into the marina after winning the Monaco Grand PrixBenoit Tessier / ReutersJincheng Guo of China reacts after winning heat 2Andrew Couldridge / ReutersKa Long Cheung of Hong Kong in action with Filippo Macchi of ItalyAlbert Gea / ReutersRed Bull's Max Verstappen during qualifyingHamad I Mohammed / ReutersNasser Racing's Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel in action during stage 6Hamad I Mohammed / ReutersA tattoo on the arm of Britain's Dan Evans is pictured during his Australian Open match against Italy's Lorenzo SonegoEdgar Su / ReutersRafael Nadal waves at fans during a tribute to his career after The Netherlands eliminated SpainJuan Medina / ReutersPriscila of Brazil in actionLuisa Gonzalez / ReutersHenrique Marques Rodrigues Fernandes of Brazil in action with Saleh Elsharabaty of JordanTingshu Wang / ReutersErislandy Alvarez of Cuba in action against Jugurtha Ait Bekka of AlgeriaPeter Cziborra / ReutersAn England fan looks dejected after the Euro 2024 finalEva Manez / ReutersSpain's Marc Cucurella celebrates with the trophy after winning the finalLisi Niesner / ReutersLebron James of United States and Stephen Curry of United States celebrate at the OlympicsBrian Snyder / ReutersGold medallist Mauricio Valencia of Colombia bites his medal on the podiumUmit Bektas / ReutersTakaaki Sugino of Japan during the Men's Team FinalAmanda Perobelli / ReutersScotland fan reactsLee Smith / Action Images via ReutersManchester City's Erling Braut Haaland in actionLee Smith / Action Images via ReutersArgentina's Lionel Messi lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning Copa America 2024Agustin Marcarian / ReutersDaisy Osakue of Italy in actionPawel Kopczynski / ReutersSteve Tomasin of United States and Rodrigo Isgro of Argentina swap shortsPhil Noble / ReutersNoah Lyles of United States crosses the line to win goldAgustin Marcarian / Reuters