In sports, a fraction of a second can make all the difference between who wins and who goes home empty-handed. Here are five pictures of some of the most memorable moments in sports for the last decade.
#1 The Lightning Bolt
Now retired, but certainly not forgotten, the world’s fastest man is a walking (and running) miracle. He holds the world records for 100 and 200-meter sprints and has won three successive golds in both disciplines. With an impressive collection of eight gold medals from the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics, it’s easy to understand why he’d have time to pose and smile before the finishing line.
#2 Gold for Katie, a milestone for women in Olympic boxing
The 2008 Summer Olympics marked the end of boxing as a men’s only Olympic sport. Katie Taylor was not only the first female boxing gold medalist in the 2012 Olympics, but she was also instrumental in introducing women’s boxing into the program. Here she is, in a victorious moment, both for her and women in sport.
#3 Wheeling into justice
The year is 2016, the man being wheeled to a waiting police car is Pat Hickey. Hickey had been the long-time president of the OCI (Olympic Council of Ireland) since 1988. However, it all ended during the Summer Olympics in Rio when he was arrested and jailed for alleged illegal ticket sales. This is definitely one of the gloomiest and most memorable sports pictures of the decade.
#4 “It only took us only 28 years to win”
Possibly one of the most meme-able shots of England’s first top World Cup performance since 1990, was the one of Harry Maguire and his girlfriend Fern Hawkins, after beating Colombia in 2018. Although they lost to Croatia in the semis and Belgium in the third-place play-off, England still made history.
#5 Vive La France
It’s been a decade of World Cups dominated by Europe’s finest teams. Spain in 2010, Germany in 2014, and France in 2018 each got the grandest prize in football. The photo captures a glorious moment in time for the French team as they plunge into victorious celebration under the Russian rain.
