Your Best Photos of 2021

Somewhere between the countless motions (and emotions) of sport are those moments just waiting to be captured. Some are victorious. Some are candid. And so many are raw. The Year in Sport Photo Contest is an effort to celebrate those bright spots. It's an opportunity to see the photography that gave every effort a chance to be etched in time as a snapshot of what's possible.

With over 11,000 entries into our latest contest, we were transported into your stories. We witnessed the wins and the hustle. Thank you to everyone who shared a bright spot from their year with us. These are the photos that shined the brightest to our panel of professional photographers. We hope they remind you of your own 2021 highlights and make you excited about the adventures to come in 2022.

The Winners

Pavement winner: Bianca Green

"We arrived in Snowdonia late in the afternoon, but we were itching to ride. The clouds were heavy with rain, threatening, the air thick with moisture, yet we set off towards Stwaln Dam. This ride was my favourite of 2021. The atmosphere was nothing short of epic. Beautifully bleak. The photo submitted is of my partner Tobin and some of the local residents 🙂 I loved the contrast of the foreboding surroundings with his bright attire. A bright spot for me in many ways."

Off-road winner: Julia Roger-Veyer

"Exploring the inside of the glacier in Chamonix, France. I really love to shoot the ice because of the variety of colors, textures and shapes. The light in this cave was so bright, and the ambiance was fascinating."

Portrait winner: Brenden Clarke

"This is an image I made following a Trials of Miles race in Kansas City. There seems to be a magical moment when certain athletes complete a race in which they collapse and slowly start to come back to reality after giving it their all. I particularly love this image because I feel like you can really see it all in her eyes. The light is in there and it's slowly coming back after complete and utter exhaustion."

Runners-Up

Pavement runner-up: Konstantin Kleine

"After a hiatus in 2020, we could again cycle in the French and Italian alps in July 2021 with a whole group of friends. My personal highlight was the climb to the Colle del Nivolet. And yes, we climbed down on the other side!"

Off-road runner-up: Moritz Klee

"After an enduring hike through the fog, the magnificent mountain suddenly appeared behind us, illuminated by the last rays of the sun. There is no better reward than being in the sun and above the clouds."

Portrait runner-up: Jody Wilson

"This was one of my final rides of the season in December 2021. Wind, snow, sleet, rain and finally sun. This image was taken just before the sun came out. The top half of my glasses were frozen from the snow sticking to them, turning to ice, while the bottom portion was fogging up from my breath as I tried to stay warm during the climb. Despite all the visual impairment from the elements, there was one bright spot where my vision was mostly clear, my left eye."

Highlights

Head over to our Instagram to see more incredible photography from the contest.

Thanks to our panel of judges – Kei Tsuji, Jojo Harper, Alexis Berg, Jason Suarez, David Jaewon Oh, and Aisha McAdams – for taking the time to review the entries and select the winners.

The Winners

Runners-Up

Highlights

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