The three finalists for the Photograph of the Year award have been selected ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2024.
From the 114 images that were submitted, a panel of judges – comprising Valerie Adams, Raquel Cavaco Nunes, Mathieu Forget, Pascal Rondeau and Christian Taylor – narrowed the entries to 11 shortlisted images before deciding on the three finalists.
Photographers from 46 countries across all six continental areas submitted entries.
The shortlisted images will form part of a digital exhibition on the World Athletics website that will go live later this month.
The winning photograph will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms as part of the World Athletics Awards 2024.
The finalists
Mattia Ozbot
Mondo Duplantis in pole vault action at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France
Michael Steele
Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands collide during the women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Esplanade des Invalides
Anna Szilagyi
Noah Lyles of USA celebrates with his gold medal during the medal ceremony for the men’s 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France
About the photographers
Mattia Ozbot (ITA)
A freelance photographer based in Milan, Ozbot specialises in sports photography and has covered the Olympic Games, European Football Championship and most major international sporting events around the world. Using his dynamic style, he always seeks new perspectives with creative and emotional images.
Michael Steele (GBR)
Steele has been a professional sports photographer since 1986 and has worked as a staff photographer at Getty Images since 1999. Athletics is one of the many different sports that he covers.
Anna Szilagyi (HUN)
Szilagyi has worked as a staff photographer for the European Pressphoto Agency in Munich since 2023. Before that, she was a stringer for the Associated Press in Budapest, where she was born.
IMAGES AND STORY: WORLD ATHLETICS
