The Olympic Games are a global obsession, captivating myself and my colleagues with thrilling wins and viral athlete TikToks. Iconic moments caught on camera, like Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina’s reaction to catching a massive wave, remind us why we can’t get enough.
As the Managing Editor of Design at The Athletic, I have spent countless hours sifting through Olympic photos and was surprised to discover so many hidden gems. Inspired by these finds, I’ve curated a selection of my favorite shots from each of the 32 Olympic events.
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Which one stands out to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Aquatics
Mexico’s Gabriela Agúndez Garcia and Alejandra Orozco Loza compete in the women’s synchronized 10m platform diving final. (Photo: Sebastien Bozon / AFP via Getty)
Archery
Ana Vazquez of Team Mexico competes during the women’s archery individual 1/32 contest against Charline Schwarz of Team Germany. (Photo: Julian Finney / Getty)
Athletics (Track and Field)
Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment prepares to take the start in a men’s 110-meter hurdles heat. (Photo: Jewel Samad / AFP via Getty)
Badminton
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy hits a shot in his men’s doubles badminton group stage match against France. (Photo: Sebastien Berda / AFP via Getty)
Basketball
Team USA’s LeBron James dunks the ball against Serbia during a group-stage game. (Editor’s note: The image was captured using a remote camera positioned above the field of play) (Photo: Pool / Getty)
Boxing
Spain’s Enmanuel Reyes is punched by Belgium’s Victor Schelstraete in the men’s 92kg quarter-final boxing match. (Photo: Mohg Rasfan / AFP via Getty)
Breaking (Breakdancing)
American breaker Logan Edra, known as B-Girl Logistx, competes in the women’s breaking round-robin. (Photo: Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty)
Canoeing
Andorra’s Monica Doria Vilarrubla gets ready to take the start of the women’s kayak single heats in the canoe slalom competition. (Photo: Olivier Morin / AFP via Getty)
Cycling
Justin Dowell of the U.S. competes during the men’s park qualification. (Photo: Tim de Waele / Getty)
Equestrian
Germany’s Christian Kukuk with horse Checker 47 competes in the equestrian jumping team final at the Chateau de Versailles. (Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP via Getty)
Fencing
Mohamed El-Sayed of Team Egypt celebrates after winning the men’s épée individual bronze medal bout against Tibor Andrasfi of Team Hungary. (Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty)
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Football (Soccer)
Spanish midfielder Fermín López (left) scores his team’s second goal in the men’s gold-medal football match between France and Spain. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty)
Golf
Colombia’s Maria Jose Uribe reacts after missing a putt during Round 3 of the women’s golf event. (Photo: Emmanuel Dunand / AFP via Getty)
Gymnastics
Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli performs with the ball in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualification. (Photo: Gabriel Bouys / AFP via Getty)
Handball
Thale Rushfeldt Deila of Team Norway attempts to shoot the ball between Ana Cláudia Bolzan and Bruna de Paula of Team Brazil during the women’s quarterfinal match. (Photo: Alex Davidson / Getty)
Hockey (Field Hockey)
Grace Balsdon of Great Britain looks on during a hockey training session on Day 1 of the Olympics. (Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty)
Judo
Serbia’s Marica Perisic reacts after losing to Japan’s Haruka Funakubo in the judo women’s 57kg repechage bout. (Photo: Luis Robayo / AFP via Getty)
Modern Pentathlon
Ahmed Elgendy of Team Egypt reacts after he crosses the finish line during the men’s individual final, laser run. (Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty)
Rowing
Quentin Antognelli of Monaco competes in the rowing men’s single sculls final D. (Photo: Justin Setterfield / Getty)
Rugby Sevens
Ireland’s Emily Lane (center) catches the ball in a line-out above teammate Erin King (down) during a women’s rugby sevens match for seventh place between Britain and Ireland. (Photo: Carl De Souza / AFP via Getty)
Sailing
Rhiannan Brown and Brin Liddell of Australia compete in the Mixed Multihull Nacra class. (Photo: Phil Walter / Getty)
Shooting
Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid competes in the women’s skeet final. (Photo: Alain Jocard / AFP via Getty)
Skateboarding
Denmark’s Viktor Solmunde practices in the bowl before the men’s park skateboarding event. (Photo: Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty)
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Sport Climbing
Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret reacts after competing in the women’s sport climbing lead semifinal. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty)
Surfing
Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica duck dives a wave in the women’s surfing bronze medal final in Teahupo’o, on the French Polynesian Island of Tahiti. (Photo: Ben Thouard — Pool / Getty)
Table Tennis
Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw eyes the ball as he serves to Hong Kong’s Wong Chun-ting during the men’s table tennis Round of 64. (Photo: Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty)
Taekwondo
Turkey’s Nafia Kuş Aydin celebrates with her country’s flag after winning against Britain’s Rebecca McGowan in the taekwondo women’s +67kg bronze medal bout. (Photo: David Gray / AFP via Getty)
Tennis
Andy Murray of Great Britain serves while he and his partner Dan Evans (not pictured) play against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel in a men’s doubles first-round match. (Photo: Clive Brunskill / Getty)
Triathlon
Italy’s Gianluca Pozzatti sits after the men’s individual triathlon. (Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP via Getty)
Volleyball (Beach)
Canada’s Brandie Wilkerson watches the ball in the women’s quarterfinal beach volleyball match against Spain. (Photo: Carl De Souza / AFP via Getty)
Weightlifting
Solfrid Koanda of Team Norway performs a snatch in the women’s weightlifting 81kg competition. (Photo: Lars Baron / Getty)
Wrestling
India’s Vinesh Phogat reacts after a match against Japan’s Yui Susaki in the women’s freestyle 50kg 1/8 final. (Photo: Dan Mullan / Getty)
(Top photo of Viktor Solmunde: Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty)
