02 August 2023 , 09:16
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From jubilant football celebrations, from a golfer who seems to – quite literally – have his head in the clouds, these striking images have been crowned the winners of the World Sports Photography Awards 2023.
The 24 winning images cover a variety of sports, including Football, Basketball, Cycling, Golf, Motorsports, American Football, Cricket, and Gymnastics.
The finalists were selected from over 700 entries from professional sports photographers, from over 70 countries around the world.
And the prestigious competition is the only global award for sports photography – entered by the world's best sports photographers, and judged by leading figures from sport, media, and creative industries.
The overall winner is a truly “ace” shot of English professional golfer, and Majesticks GC captain, Lee Westwood, captured in Florida last October by Patrick Smith.
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The heavenly photo shows sport and nature colliding, as the golfer appears to be standing on clouds that engulf him as he prepares to take a swing.
And Portuguese photographer, Octávio Passos, came in second place for this dramatic shot of French surfer, Justine Dupont, amid crashing waves (Octávio Passos/Cover Media)In second place at the photography competition was Portuguese photographer, Octávio Passos, for a dramatic surfing photo of mighty waves crashing around French surfer, Justine Dupont, in Portugal.
And third place was awarded to Phil Noble, for his picture of Trinidad and Tobago runner, Jereem Richards, celebrating winning gold in the men’s 200m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Elsewhere in the winning photographs, another category winner showed a vividly colourful picture of two young men practising the ancient Indonesian martial art of Silek Lanyah in a stream.
The subjects range from grassroot community kickabouts, to elite events, designed to recognise and celebrate incredible sporting images, and the photographers who take them.
The World Sports Photography Awards tell compelling stories of the emotion, passion, athleticism, and focus that are at the heart of sport.
Sophie Collins, CMO at specialist photographic equipment suppliers, MPB, said: “As a judge, I was incredibly impressed by the quality of this year's entries.
“The art of photography is about encapsulating emotions and feelings in an instant, and being able to tell a compelling story which aims to inspire the spectator long after they’ve experienced it.
“It’s been exciting to see the new entries in the “Pro” space being shortlisted for the awards, too, as they have elevated the expectations for next year's participants.”
The full gallery of winning images, including Top 10s in every sporting category, are available to view here.
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