Sports Pictures of the Year 2022
By Photographer's name
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Filed: November 30, 2022, 10.00 a.m. GMT
Sport enjoyed a bumper year as the clouds of the global health crisis finally lifted and Reuters photographers were on the sidelines at every big event to capture the action as it happened.
The first major gathering of the year, however, plunged the athletes back into the most restrictive pandemic conditions as they competed on ice and snow at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Fifteen-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva was supposed to be the star of the Games but her Olympics ended in disgrace after the disclosure of a failed doping test that raised serious questions about children competing in elite sport.
In tennis, all time greats Serena Williams and Roger Federer bid emotional farewells to a sport they transformed, while teenager Carlos Alcaraz announced himself as a talent who could dominate for years to come.
There were the usual thrills and spills in motor sport, world championships in swimming and athletics as well as the quadrennial jamboree for mostly former British colonies at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Football will always make headlines and 2022 was no exception as fans crammed back into stadiums to watch the world’s favourite game.
England further fuelled the popularity of women’s football with a Euros triumph on home soil, Real Madrid claimed a 14th European crown, and the year culminated in a winter World Cup in the Gulf State of Qatar.


Anastasiya Andryianava of Belarus in action during training for freestyle skiing - women’s aerials during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, at Genting Snow Park, Zhangjiakou, China, February 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Spain’s Rafael Nadal during his fourth round match against France’s Adrian Mannarino during the Australian Open, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 23, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

Medical staff in personal protective equipment are seen at a speed skating training session for the Beijing 2022. Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, January 28, 2022. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning the Australian Open men’s singles final with the trophy, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee reacts after her figure skating performance during the 2022 Beijing Olympics at the Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China, February 17, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

Bobsleighers Romain Heinrich and Dorian Hauterville of France in action, during the 2022 Beijing Olympics at the National Sliding Centre, Beijing, China, February 14, 2022. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Freestyle skier Jesper Tjader of Sweden in action, during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, at the Genting Snow Park, Zhangjiakou, China, February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Germany’s Markus Eisenbichler in action during ski jumping training for the Four Hills Tournament, in Innsbruck, Austria, January 3, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

A car drives during stage 10 of the Dakar Rally, from Wadi Ad Dawasir to Bisha, in Saudi Arabia, January 12, 2022. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Manchester City fans celebrate on the pitch after winning the Premier League against Aston Villa, at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain, May 22, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz Garfia celebrates with Germany’s Alexander Zverev after winning the Madrid Open ATP Masters 1000, at Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain, May 8, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina

Everton’s Richarlison celebrates scoring their first goal against Chelsea during the Premier League, at Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain, May 1, 2022. Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Real Madrid’s Luka Modric celebrates with the trophy after winning the Champions League Final against Liverpool, at Stade de France, Saint-Denis near Paris, France, May 28, 2022. REUTERS/Lee Smith

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins crashes out at the start of the race during the MotoGP Catalunya Grand Prix, at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, June 5, 2022. REUTERS/Albert Gea

Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou and Mercedes’ George Russell crash out at the start of the Formula One F1 British Grand Prix race, at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain, July 3, 2022. REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning the Wimbledon men’s singles final against Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain, July 10, 2022. REUTERS/Matthew Childs

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in action during the women’s 100 metres heats at the World Athletics Championships, at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, U.S., July 16, 2022. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Noah Lyles of the U.S. celebrates after winning the men’s 200 metres final at the World Athletics Championships, at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, U.S., July 21, 2022. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Scotland’s Eilidh Gorrell in action on the balance beam during subdivision 3 women’s team final and individual qualification for artistic gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games, Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain, July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

England’s Chloe Kelly celebrates scoring their second goal with Jill Scott and Lauren Hemp against Germany in the Women’s Euro 2022 Final, at Wembley Stadium, London, Britain, July 31, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Trinidad And Tobago’s Jereem Richards celebrates after winning gold at the Commonwealth games men’s 200m final, at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, Britain, August 6, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble

England’s Matthew Lee in action at the Commonwealth Games men’s 10m platform preliminary, at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Britain, August 7, 2022. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Serena Williams of the U.S. is seen on a video monitor tribute after winning her second round U.S. Open match against Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit, at Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, August 31, 2022. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates winning his fight against Anthony Joshua for the WBA, WBO, IBF heavyweight world title, at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, August 20, 2022. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts after losing her third round match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic during the U.S. Open, at the Flushing Meadows, New York, United States, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Team Europe and World members lift Roger Federer at the end of his last match after announcing his retirement at the Laver Cup, at the 02 Arena, London, Britain, September 24, 2022. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Republic of Ireland’s Jayson Molumby in action with Scotland’s John McGinn during the UEFA Nations League, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, September 24, 2022. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

A goalpost is seen after a riot and stampede following soccer match between Arema vs Persebaya at Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java province, Indonesia, October 2, 2022. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari scores their second goal past Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar, November 22, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

An Iranian fan holds a jersey in memory of Mahsa Amini, inside the stadium before the Wales v Iran FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar, November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

The Wider Image
Photography: Reuters
Writing: Nick Mulvenney
Photo editing: Mark Hartnell and Pawel Kopczynski
Text editing: Alexandra Hudson
Design: Marta Montana Gomez