The Tokyo Olympics, Euro football, the Tour de France… 2021 was marked by many sporting events. The opportunity for photographers to immortalize the exploits of champions, but also to capture moments of joy or disappointments. The fabulous counter of the French basketball player Nicolas Battum in the semi-finals of the Games, the feat of the fencer Romain Cannone, that of the Norwegian athlete Karsten Warholm or the second reign of Julian Alaphilippe on world cycling, find the most beautiful images of the year 2021 in sport.
Realization : Olivier JUSZCZAK
-
Competitors ride in stage 10 of the 2021 Dakar Rally between Neom and Alula in Saudi Arabia, January 13, 2021. – FRANCK FIFE/AFP
The 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally kicked off on January 3 in Saudi Arabia. The opportunity to admire magnificent landscapes again. On the competition side, the French Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger won in the car. In motorcycles, the Argentinian Kevin Benavides wins the race.
–
Chelsea players celebrate their victory in the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Dragao stadium in Porto on May 29, 2021. – SUSANA VERA/AFP
FC Chelsea player N’Golo Kanté, worn here in triumph by his compatriot Kurt Zouma. The club won the Champions League by beating Manchester City 1-0 on May 29.
–
Serbian Novak Djokovic falls as he faces Italian Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-final of the men’s singles at Roland Garros, in Paris, June 9, 2021. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP) – CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
Head for clay and dust at the Roland-Garros tennis tournament in Paris. Here, the Serbian Novak Djokovic is recovering from his fall in the quarter-finals and wins the 2021 edition. In the women’s category, surprise, it is the Czech Barbora Krejcikova who takes the victory.
–
Danish players react as carers deal with Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen after he collapsed on the pitch during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group B soccer match between Denmark and Finland in Parken stadium in Copenhagen, June 12, 2021. – FRIEDEMANN VOGEL / AFP
Big fright at the Parken stadium in Copenhagen, on Saturday June 12 during the Football Euro! The Dane Christian Eriksen collapses on the lawn following a heart attack. Six days later, he will be released from the hospital after having a miniature defibrillator implanted to regulate his heart rate.
–
The disappointment of England’s Marcus Rashford after missing his shot in a penalty shoot-out in the Euro 2020 Football Championship final between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday July 11, 2021. – JOHN SIBLEY/AP/SIPA
Marcus Rasford is inconsolable! The Englishman missed his shot on goal in the final session of the Euro final between England and Italy, in London, on July 11.
–
Italian players celebrate after winning the UEFA EURO 2020 Final soccer match between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium in London on July 11, 2021. – LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/AFP
The contrast is striking with the joy of the Italian team after their victory (1-1 tab (3-2). The Azzurri are sacred kings of Europe!
–
Argentina’s Lionel Messi is thrown into the air by his teammates after winning the Copa America final against Brazil at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 10, 2021. – CARL DE SOUZA / AFP
Another moment of joy: the victory of Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Copa America against Brazil (1-0), still in July. This trophy will count enormously in the attribution of a seventh golden ball to the Argentinian.
–
The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, wearing the yellow jersey of the leader of the general classification, takes part in the 20th stage of the Tour de France cycling, an individual time trial starting from Libourne and an arrival in Saint-Emilion, on Saturday July 17, 2021 . – CHRISTOPHE ENA / AP / SIPA
A yellow rocket crosses France once again! The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar confirms his bluffing performance during the 2020 edition of the Tour de France by winning the Grande Boucle for the second time in 2021.
–
A bird’s-eye view shows Ugandan Stephen Kissa competing in the men’s 10,000m final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium on July 30, 2021. – ANTONIN THUILLIER / AFP
Postponed a year due to the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics began on July 23. Without an audience.
–
France’s Romain Cannone (left) gives a thumbs up after winning the men’s epee individual gold fight against Hungarian Gergely Siklosi at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan on July 25, 2021. – LI MING / NEW CHINA / SIPA
“Thank you for everything, I had a good day”, seems to say the French Romain Cannone at the end of the final of the men’s individual épée tournament. On July 25, the French fencer (47th in the world) defeats all predictions by beating the best in the world and wins the Olympic gold medal!
–
The French judokas very happy after winning the final mixed team judo match against Japan at the Tokyo Olympics at the Nippon Budokan, Tokyo on July 31, 2021. – YUTA HOSHINO / AP / SIPA
France which wins again! French judo is on top of the world by beating Japan in the final of the team tournament on its own land! Teddy Riner and his teammates achieved a real feat! A consolation for the Guadeloupe giant, disappointed, after his bronze medal in the individual tournament in his category.
–
Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela competes in the women’s triple jump final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, August 1, 2021, in Tokyo. – DAVID J. PHILLIP/AP/SIPA
And Venezuela which flies! Yulimar Rojas pocketed the Olympic gold medal in the women’s triple jump competition by breaking the world record with a triple voucher at 15.67m.
–
French Mourad Aliev waits outside the ring after losing by disqualification to Briton Frazer Clarke in their super-heavy (over 91kg) boxing quarter-final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo , August 1, 2021. – LUIS ROBAYO/AFP
France not happy. Frenchman Mourad Aliev refuses to leave the ring after being disqualified in his quarter-final of the boxing tournament in the over 91 kg category, deeming the referee’s decision unacceptable. The tournament supervisor will later recognize a referee error but the decision will not be changed. “It’s a scandal”, will protest Mourad Aliev at the microphone of France Televisions.
–
Simone Biles of the United States of America prepares to compete in the women’s artistic gymnastics final on balance beam for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo on August 3, 2021. – LIONEL BONAVENTURE / AFP
On August 3, American gymnast Simone Biles smiles again with a bronze medal on balance beam, a week after leaving the all-around team competition to preserve her sanity.
–
Norway’s Karsten Warholm screams his joy after winning and breaking the world record in the men’s 400m hurdles final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium on August 3, 2021. – JEWEL SAMAD/AFP
That same day, the Norwegian Karsten Warholmdazzled the Tokyo Olympics by shattering in 45 sec 94 his own world record in the 400 m hurdles (46 sec 70) after a fierce duel with the American Rai Benjamin. It is indeed hot!
–
Frenchman Nicolas Batum, above, blocks a shot from Slovenian Klemen Prepelic during the men’s basketball semi-final at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Thursday, August 5, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. – CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP/SIPA
On August 5, Nicolas Batum saves the homeland with a stratospheric counter in the dying seconds of the semi-final of the men’s Olympic basketball tournament against Slovenia. The French advance to the final but will lose to the Americans for the gold medal.
–
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe crosses the finish line to claim his second World Championship title in Leuven, Belgium on Sunday, September 26, 2021. – OLIVIER MATTHYS / AP / SIPA
At the road cycling world championship, the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe is levitating and wins a second consecutive title, in Louvains in Belgium. A first in the history of French cycling!
–
The Italian Sonny Colbrelli from Bahrain Victorious moved after winning the “Paris-Roubaix” cycling race on Sunday 03 October 2021. – SHUTTERSTOCK/SIPA
