2022 BEST SPORTS PICTURES

THROUGH THE LENS OF AFP

OLI SCARFF / AFP

France's driver Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Alex Winocq crash their buggy during Stage 4 of the Dakar 2022 between al-Qaysumah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2022. FRANCK FIFE / AFP

A surfer rides a wave during a big wave surfing session at Praia do Norte in Nazare on January 8, 2022. MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP

Bull Rider Dalton Kasel rides The Good Stuff during the second round of the PBR Unleash The Beast Monster Energy Buckoff at Madison Square Garden in New York, January 8, 2022. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

Japanese athletes take part in a training session at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on February 1, 2022, ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

China's players celebrate victory during the women's preliminary round group B match of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games ice hockey competition between Denmark and China, at the Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing on February 4, 2022. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

France's Quentin Fillon Maillet takes aim ahead of the Biathlon Mixed Relay 4x6km (W+M) event on February 05, 2022 at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP

Russia's Kamila Valieva competes in the women's single skating short program of the figure skating team event during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing on February 6, 2022. MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP

France's wing Gabin Villiere dives across the line to score a try during the Six Nations rugby union international match between France and Italy at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on February 6, 2022. FRANCK FIFE / AFP

Sweden's Jesper Tjader competes in the freestyle skiing men's freeski big air final run during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Big Air Shougang in Beijing on February 9, 2022. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Canada's Blake Enzie takes part in the men's skeleton training at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Yanqing on February 9, 2022. JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

French surfer Eric Rebiere rides a wave during the Tudor Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge at Praia do Norte in Nazare on February 10, 2022. CARLOS COSTA / AFP

An athlete takes part in a freestyle skiing freeski slopestyle training session during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou on February 11, 2022. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

South Korea's Kim Yoo-ran takes part in the women's monobob bobsleigh training at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Yanqing on February 11, 2022. JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Switzerland's Dominik Peter competes in the Ski Jumping Men's Large Hill Individual Qualification Round, on February 11, 2022 at the Zhangjiakou National Ski Jumping Centre, during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

The peloton rides during the third stage of the 2022 cycling Tour of Oman between Sultan Qaboos University and Qurayyat on February 12, 2022. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP

Poland's Natalia Czerwonka leads her team in the women's speed skating team pursuit quarterfinal during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on February 12, 2022. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt competes in the first run of the men's giant slalom during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre in Yanqing on February 13, 2022. DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP

Belarus' Anna Derugo takes part in a practice session ahead of the freestyle skiing women's aerials qualification during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Genting Snow Park A & M Stadium in Zhangjiakou on February 13, 2022. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

USA's Jordan Stolz competes in the men's speed skating 1000m event during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on February 18, 2022. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

An aerial view taken on February 20, 2022 shows people participating in the Sigtunarannet ice-skating race over 50km on the frozen Malaren Lake in Sigtuna, north of Stockholm. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP

Cyclists ride during the stage 6 of the United Arab Emirates cycling tour, departing and ending in Expo 2020 in the Gulf emirate, on February 25, 2022. GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP

QuickStep - AlphaVinyl French rider Julian Alaphilippe (R) falls during the 16th one-day classic cycling race Strade Bianche (White Roads), 184 km between Siena and Siena, in Italy, on March 5, 2022. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

Skier Bruce Stott (R) catches air after flying off of a jump while competing in the Open division during the 74th annual Leadville Ski Joring weekend competition on March 6, 2022 in Leadville, Colorado. JASON CONNOLLY / AFP

The pack rides during the 5th stage of the 80th Paris - Nice cycling race, 189 km between Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert and Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut, on March 10, 2022. FRANCK FIFE / AFP

Athletes compete during the third stage of the 36th Pierra-Menta ski mountaineering race, in Areches-Beaufort, on March 11, 2022. JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Athletes compete during the 4th and last stage of the 36th Pierra-Menta ski mountaineering race, on March 12, 2022 in Areches-Beaufort. JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Bayern Munich's German midfielder Giulia Gwinn jumps for the ball during the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter final first leg match FC Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain in Munich, southern Germany, on March 22, 2022. CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

Competitors take part in the final stage of the 36th edition of the Marathon des Sables between Jebel El Mraier and Merdani in the Moroccan Sahara desert, central Morocco, on April 1, 2022. JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP

Monster Energy Freestyle Motocross Chilean biker Marco “Chino” Gonzalez performs at the Fan Zone of the Argentina Grand Prix, in Termas de Rio Hondo, in the Argentine northern province of Santiago del Estero, on April 1, 2022, ahead of the MotoGP race to be held on April 3. JUAN MABROMATA / AFP

Union Berlin's German forward Kevin Behrens (L-R) celebrates scoring the 1-2 with German forward Sven Michel, German midfielder Grischa Proemel and German forward Andreas Voglsammer during the German first division Bundesliga football match RB Leipzig v Union Berlin in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on April 23, 2022. RONNY HARTMANN / AFP

Britain's Tyson Fury makes his way to the ring ahead of his WBC heavyweight title fight against Britain's Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in west London, on April 23, 2022. ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP

Cyclist ride up the "la cote de Saint-Roch" climb during the Liege-Bastogne-Liege one day cycling race, 257,5km from Liege to Liege in Liege on April 24, 2022. ERIC LALMAND / Belga / AFP

Competitors take part in one of the events of the first and only French stage of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup during the 25th edition of the "Mondial du Vent" event in Leucate, southern France, on April 29, 2022. VALENTINE CHAPUIS / AFP

The pack rides during the third stage of the Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour 2022 cycling race near Valbroye, western Switzerland, on April 29, 2022, FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

This picture shows smoke from flares rising during the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg football match between Olympique de Marseille (OM) and Feyenoord Rotterdam, at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille, on May 5, 2022. CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP

Gresini Racing Ducati's Italian rider Enea Bastianini falls during free practice 3 ahead the Italian Moto GP Grand Prix at the Mugello race track, Tuscany, on May 28, 2022. FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP

Liverpool's players wave to supporters from an open-top bus during a parade through the streets of Liverpool in northwest England on May 29, 2022 to celebrate winning the 2021-22 League Cup and FA Cup. OLI SCARFF / AFP

Germany's Alexander Zverev falls injured on court during his men's semi-final singles match against Spain's Rafael Nadal on day thirteen of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on June 3, 2022. TOMAS STEVENS / AFP

Honda LCR Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami (L) and Suzuki Spanish rider Alex Rins (R) fall during the Moto Grand Prix de Catalunya at the Circuit de Catalunya on June 5, 2022 in Montmelo on the outskirts of Barcelona. LLUIS GENE / AFP

Spain's Celia Fernandez competes during the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on June 18, 2022. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

Bikers take the start during the Erzberg Rodeo motorcycle enduro event on June 19, 2022 in Eisenerz, Styria, Austria. (Photo by ERWIN SCHERIAU / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT ERWIN SCHERIAU / APA / AFP

Ukraine's Maryna Aleksiiva and Ukraine's Vladyslava Aleksiiva compete in the women's duet technical artistic swimming finals during the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships at the Alfred Hajos Swimming Complex in Budapest on June 19, 2022. FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT / AFP

Germany's Marlene Bojer competes in the women's solo free artistic swimming finals during the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships at the Alfred Hajos Swimming Complex in Budapest on June 22, 2022. OLI SCARFF / AFP

USA's coach Andrea Fuentes (R) swims to recover USA's Anita Alvarez (L), from the bottom of the pool during an incident in the women's solo free artistic swimming finals, during the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships at the Alfred Hajos Swimming Complex in Budapest on June 22, 2022. OLI SCARFF / AFP

Estonian rally team driven by Ott Tanak and navigated by Martin Jarveoja navigate a deep dust section in their Hyundai i20 N during the Kedong section of The Safari Rally Kenya 2022, the 6th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in the lakeside town of Naivasha on June 24, 2022. TONY KARUMBA / AFP

The pack of riders cycles during the 2nd stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 202,2 km between Roskilde and Nyborg, in Denmark, on July 2, 2022. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP

Alfa Romeo Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu skids across the track after a collision with Mercedes' British driver George Russell (unseen) during the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England on July 3, 2022. BEN STANSALL / AFP

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team's Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen (C) collapses after crossing the finish line seconds before the cut-off time during the 17th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 129,7 km between Saint-Gaudens and Peyragudes, in southwestern France, on July 20, 2022. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

FDJ Suez Futuroscope's Danish rider Cecilie Ludwig celebrates after winning the 3rd stage of the new edition of the Women's Tour de France cycling race, a 133,6 km race between Reims and Epernay on July 26, 2022. JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Wales' James Ball and pilot Matthew Rotherman compete in the para-men's sprint B tandem qualifying round cycling event on day three of the Commonwealth Games, at the Lee Valley VeloPark in east London, on July 31, 2022. ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP

England's striker Chloe Kelly celebrates after scoring her team second goal during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final football match between England and Germany at the Wembley stadium, in London, on July 31, 2022. FRANCK FIFE / AFP

Bahamas' Kendrick Thompson competes in the men's decathlon shot put athletics event at the Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham on day seven of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, central England, on August 4, 2022. BEN STANSALL / AFP

US Women National Basketball Association's (WNBA) basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, is escorted to the courtroom to hear the court's final decision in Khimki outside Moscow, on August 4, 2022. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Canada's Suzanna Shahbazian competes during the ball final rhythmic gymnastics event at the Arena Birmingham, on day nine of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, central England, on August 6, 2022. PAUL ELLIS / AFP

Canada's Celina Toth and Canada's Rylan Wiens compete during the mixed synchronised 10m platform diving final on day eleven of the Commonwealth Games at Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, central England, on August 8, 2022. OLI SCARFF / AFP

Britain's Sasha Pardoe competes during the Women's Park BMX Cycling Freestyle event at the European Cycling Championships in Munich, southern Germany on August 12, 2022. CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

Tottenham Hotspur's Italian head coach Antonio Conte (R) and Chelsea's German head coach Thomas Tuchel (L) shake hands then clash after the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on August 14, 2022. GLYN KIRK / AFP

Brazil's Filipe Toledo competes during the Outerknown Tahiti Pro 2022, the Men's WSL Championship Tour, in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia, on August 18, 2022. JEROME BROUILLET / AFP

Turkey's Ferhat Arican performs on the parallel bars during the Men's All-Around Final event at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Munich, southern Germany on August 18, 2022. CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

Netherlands' Rutger Koppelaar competes in the men's Pole Vault final during the European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, southern Germany on August 20, 2022. ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP

Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk (L) and Britain's Anthony Joshua (R) compete during the heavyweight boxing rematch for the WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF titles, at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, on August 20, 2022. GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP

Jockeys race along a beach during the annual beach horse races in Sanlucar de Barrameda near Cadiz on August 25, 2022. CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP

US player Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Montenegro's Danka Kovinic during their 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women's singles first round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on August 29, 2022. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

Italy's Sofia Raffaeli competes in the individual all-around qualification round during the 39th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships at the Arena Armeets in Sofia (Arena Armeec hall) on September 14, 2022. NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV / AFP

Switzerland's Roger Federer (L) sheds a tear after playing his final match, a doubles with Spain's Rafael Nadal (R) of Team Europe against USA's Jack Sock and USA's Frances Tiafoe of Team World in the 2022 Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London, early on September 24, 2022. GLYN KIRK / AFP

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d'Or award during the 2022 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 17, 2022. FRANCK FIFE / AFP

This aerial view taken with a drone shows riders as they compete during the 39th edition of the enduro motorcycle race Gotland Grand National (GGN) at Tofta shooting range, near Visby, on the island of Gotland, Sweden, on October 28, 2022. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP

Britain's James Hall competes during the Men's Parallel Bars qualification event during the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, northern England on October 31, 2022. PAUL ELLIS / AFP

Philippines' Carlos Edriel Yulo competes during the Men's Floor Exercise final at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, northern England on November 5, 2022. PAUL ELLIS / AFP