Every year, sports present us with moments of breathtaking beauty, raw power, and human drama. But it is the photographer's lens that often freezes these fleeting seconds into timeless history. The year 2025 offered a spectacular gallery: Armand Duplantis levitating at six metres, cyclists slicing through crowds, and artistic swimmers moving like liquid angels. These are the athletes we know, but captured from angles and in lights that transform the familiar into the extraordinary.
The Unseen Artist: The Sportswriter and The Photographer
While writers get prominent bylines, photographers often receive only a tiny credit line. Yet, in the world of sports journalism, they form an essential, odd couple. The writer arrives with a notepad and laptop, often seated comfortably. The photographer, however, carries a heavy load: multiple camera bodies, an array of lenses, flash units, and more, braving rain, heat, or cold to find the perfect spot.
Their missions intertwine but differ crucially. The writer digs into an athlete's past; the photographer studies the visual background. The writer can rely on replays; the photographer has just one chance to capture the moment. This relentless pursuit of the perfect shot defines their craft.
A Picture of Perseverance: The Fall and Rise of Geordie Beamish
Among the year's countless images, one stands out for its raw narrative: Emilee Chinn's photograph of steeplechaser Geordie Beamish at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. During a heat in September, with a lap to go, Beamish tangled with a barrier and fell. As another runner hurdled over him, Chinn clicked.
The resulting image, titled Perseverance, is a masterpiece of chaotic motion. It captures the unpredictable explosion of competition—a dense pack of runners, flying limbs, and the stark vulnerability of a fallen athlete. Remarkably, the hurdler's spiked shoe only grazed Beamish's face, avoiding serious injury. The photo, a finalist for the 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year, is a powerful reminder of struggle and global competition.
The story had a perfect ending. Beamish rose, finished the race, qualified for the final, and then produced a stunning upset. In the final, he out-sprinted the legendary Soufiane El Bakkali, a multiple Olympic and world champion, to claim victory.
The Legends and Their Legacy: Planning, Luck, and Genius
The history of sports photography is filled with artists who went to incredible lengths. Legends like Neil Leifer, Bob Martin, and India's own Nikhilda (Nikhil Bhattacharya of Anandabazar Patrika) set the standard. Leifer's iconic 1966 aerial shot of Muhammad Ali after knocking out Cleveland Williams was a product of meticulous planning and a gamble on a clean knockout.
Bob Martin's dedication is another example. For the 2004 Paralympics, he spent years getting permission to shoot from a catwalk above the pool. His patience paid off with a World Press Photo Award-winning image of a swimmer shedding prosthetic legs—a shot he almost missed due to a false start. Similarly, photographers today lean out of boats, climb rafters, or even swim underneath athletes to get the shot.
In a touching postscript to the Beamish story, a video from the mixed zone shows the athlete himself, leaning over a railing to look at a camera's viewfinder. A photographer is showing him the pictures of his fall—a moment where the subject and the artist connect, united by a single, powerful frame of perseverance. The best sports photos are not just records; they are stories of timing, risk, and unparalleled human spirit, frozen for eternity.
