World Sports Photography Awards reveals 2024 winners

Overall Gold – Eric T’Kindt

Belgian photographer Eric T’Kindt photo was awarded the overall Gold prize at this year’s World Sports Photography Awards. The photo of Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto was shot at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium.

T’Kindt’s photo took the overall prize having been awarded Gold in the Gymnastics category.

• Nikon Z9 with Nikkor VR 70-200mm F2.8G

Overall Silver – Isaac Julián Morillas Sánchez

The Silver award went to Spanish photographer Isaac Julián Morillas Sánchez, with a photo called “A new superhero? The perfect match between a spotlight and a head.” The photo won Gold in the “Other” category.

• Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS

Overall Bronze – Ryan Pierse

The overall Bronze award went to Australian photographer Ryan Pierse for their image “Duck Dive,” which came top in the “Aquatics” section of the competition.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye

American Football Gold – Kevin Sabitus

The World Sports Photography Awards recognize images taken across 24 disciplines, from American Football to Cricket. Kevin Sabitu’s image “Dobbsanity” won the American Football category.

• Canon EOS R3 with RF135mm F1.8

Athletics

More than 1400 professional photographers from around the world submitted images to this year’s competition. Tetsu Lee “The Sprint” took Gold in the Athletics category.

Baseball – Lindsey Wasson

Seattle photographer Lindsey Wasson took the Gold in the baseball category with the photo “Dunk.”

• Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS

Basketball – Steph Chambers

There were more than 9000 images submitted. Steph Chambers’ image, “Rainbow Hair” took Gold amongst the Basketball photos.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF24-70mm F2.8 L II USM

Boxing – Andrew Moss

Ten images were selected in each of the 24 categories. Andrew Moss’s “The Dynamic Duo” tool Gold in the Boxing arena.

• Nikon Z7 II with Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4

Cricket – Darrian Traynor

Darrian Traynor’s “So Close” captures a critical moment in Australia’s game against New Zealand in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF600mm F4L IS II USM

Cycling – James Startt

James Startt took a wider view on the action to take this photo of the Strade Bianchi race in Tuscany, creating a Gold-winning image that captures the essence of the race.

• Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8

Equestrian – David Davies

Bronze, Silver and Gold winners were then selected from ten leading images in each category of the competition. David Davies’ “Glorious Mud” took Gold in the Equestrian category.

• Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm GM II OSS

Football (Soccer) – Marcelo Guelber Goes

The three overall winners were then selected from the Gold position in each category. Maecelo Guelber Goes’ image of Portugese striker Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded Gold in the Football section of the competition.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF300m F2.8L IS USM

Formula 1 – Cristiano Barni

22 of the 24 Gold-winning images include camera data. Cristiano Barni’s dynamic shot that won Gold in the Formula 1 category was taken with a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, for instance.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF11-24mm F4 USM

Golf – Octávio Passos

Octávio Passos’s winner of the Golf category was shot using a Nikon Zf c, the only APS-C camera used by any of the winners.

• Nikon Zf c with Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S

Ice Hockey – Bruce Bennett

The most common camera brand amongst the winners was Canon, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the company’s historic dominance of the pro sports field. Bruce Bennett used a Canon EOS R5 for his winning Ice Hockey image, “50th Anniversary Score.”

• Canon EOS R5 with EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye

Martial Arts – Victor Joly

Half of the winning images shot using Canon cameras were taken with EOS-1D X series DSLRs. The only other winning image to be shot with a DSLR was Victor Joly’s “Upside Down – Judo Paris Grand Slam,” shot with a Nikon D5.

• Nikon D5 with 70-200mm F2.8

Motor Sports – Pavol Tomaskin

Nikon was the second most used brand among winners, with six entries using Z or D series bodies. Pavol Tomaskin used a Z9 for his image of Argentina motorcyclist Luciano Benavides, which won in the Motor Sports category.

Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S

Racquet Sports – Benjamin Lau

Benjamin Lau won the Racquet Sports category. The increased professional use of mirrorless can be seen in the winners, with just seven of the twenty two images with camera data being shot with DSLRs.

• Canon EOS R6 – RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM

Rugby – Morgan Treacy

Morgan Treacy won Gold in the Rugby category with their image “maul,” shot during England’s encounter with Ireland at the Six Nations Championship.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF500mm f/4L IS II USM

Swimming & diving – Sean M Haffey

Sean M Haffey won the Swimming & diving Gold for his image “Submerged” of British swimmer Alicia Wilson.

Tennis – Marc Aspland

Marc Aspland’s photo of Novak Djokovic won the Tennis section of the competition.

• Canon EOS R3 with EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM

Urban & Extreme – Volodya Voronon

Sony was the third most common, with three winning images shot using a9 IIs and Volodya Voronon’s image “Reflection,” which won the Urban & Extreme category using an a7 IV.

• Sony a7 IV with FE 50mm F2.8 Macro

Venues and views – Brett Phibbs

The awards also include a Venues and Views category, expanding beyond a focus simply on the action itself. New Zealand photographer Brett Phibbs took the award for his photo of a football pitch a world away from, but every bit as dramatic as the Maracanā or Camp Nou.

• Canon EOS R5 with 28-70mm F2L USM

Winter Sports – Alexander Hassenstein

German photographer Alexander Hassenstein rounds-out the competition with some flare, with his image “Mikaela’s World,” taken of USA skier Mikaela Shiffrin at the Ski World Cup at Sölden, Austria.

• Canon EOS R3 with RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM

Our congratulations to all the winners.