30 iconic sports photos from Getty Images at the first week of the 2021 Olympics

The 2021 Olympics have been a daily deluge of incredible moments, unique achievements and iconic sports photos. Here are the best Getty Images from the first week.

Giarnni Regini-Moran of Team Great Britain competes in the floor exercise during the Men’s Team Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

This image was taken during the Men’s Team Final in the floor exercise. Many photographers had been shooting the rings from this elevated position and I knew I wanted something different. Luck meets preparation, and as Giarnni Regini-Moran of Team Great Britain appeared to make the “T” in Tokyo, I knew I had photographed a really unique, special moment. 

— Patrick Smith

Margielyn Didal of Team Philippines celebrates during the Women’s Street Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

This image is of Margielyn Didal of Team Philippines as she celebrated during the Women’s Street Final. With skateboarding as a new sport at this year’s Olympics, I wanted to capture not only the action but the emotion that comes along with it as well. While Didal didn’t medal, she had a great spirit despite taking some hard falls during the competition. As she acknowledged the others in the final, Didal shot a big smile and flexed her arm, showcasing her creative COVID-19/ Tokyo 2020 Olympics tattoo. 

— Patrick Smith

Kate Douglass of Team United States competes in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley Final on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

The Women’s 200m Individual Medley Final was the first race at the start of the swim session on day five. The water is at its most still for the first race of the day and in turn, it produces a reflection as the swimmers’ churn through the water. In this image, Kate Douglass powers through the water, taking bronze for Team USA.

— Al Bello

Carissa Moore of Team United States waits for a set during the women’s Gold Medal match on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach on July 27, 2021, in Ichinomiya, Chiba, Japan.

Conditions were tough throughout the surfing competition, with high crosswinds and muddy light, but the big swell did eventuate for the last few days. Just as I thought I had taken my last picture of the event, a rainbow appeared out of nowhere in the last minute of the Women’s Gold Medal match. In this photo, Carissa Moore of Team USA is floating on her board taking it all in, and already knew she had secured the gold medal. This picture feels both literal and figurative, like the “pot of gold” right at the end of a tough, but enjoyable week as surfing made its Olympic debut in Tokyo.

— Ryan Pierse

Yiwen Sun of Team China celebrates winning the gold medal in her bout against Ana Maria Popescu of Team Romania in the Women’s Epee Individual gold medal bout of the fencing on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Makuhari Messe Hall on July 24, 2021, in Chiba, Japan.

I had never shot fencing prior to this, so I spent day one getting my bearings and finding all the different locations I could work from during the upcoming matches. There were medal rounds scheduled every night so there was always great action and intensity to be had. It was a tight match with Yiwen Sun of Team China claiming gold against Ana Maria Popescu of Team Romania. Throughout the competition, fencers wildly celebrated their winning point so I knew Yiwen Sun would really react to winning the gold medal.

— Elsa

Saken Bibossinov (R) of Kazakhstan exchanges punches with Yankiel Rivera Figueroa of Puerto Rico during the Men’s Fly (48-52kg) on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Kokugikan Arena on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

This photo was taken ringside during the Men’s Fly (48-52kg) between Saken Bibossinov and Yankiel Rivera Figueroa of Puerto Rico. It shows exactly how the fight was throughout — a ton of dispute and incredible punching speed and movement by Rivera Figueroa. He completely dominated this fight.

— Buda Mendes

Thi Duyen Hoang of Team Vietnam competes during the Weightlifting – Women’s 59kg Group A on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo International Forum on July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

This photo was captured with an overhead robotic camera during the Weightlifting – Women’s 59kg Group A competition. Each lifter gets three attempts and at times they’re lifting 2-3x their own body weight! Usually, when it’s too much, lifters just drop the bar, but in this case, Thi Duyen Hoang of Team Vietnam fell backwards and the bar rolled right over her. Thankfully, she was okay. From this angle, it almost looks like she is standing up lifting and not flat on her back. Like a lot of events at the Olympics, it can seem like a very simple event to photograph, but it’s really about these moments of emotion, celebration and defeat, that are the most powerful images. 

— Chris Graythen

Horacio Cifuentes of Team Argentina practices ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on July 21, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.

My assignment for the Olympic Games has been covering table tennis. During the week prior to the opening ceremony, I scouted out the venue for photo position ideas and to watch — for the first time — the sport being played out in person. It’s amazing how the athletes can control the ball, serve and react so quickly and swiftly. During one of the practices, I made it a goal of mine to make one clean picture that teases the big stage ahead. The ball has “Tokyo 2020” and the Olympic rings decaled on it, so I wanted to try to photograph a serve with the lettering reading upright. I stood on a riser to frame an athlete against a red background and I used a 400mm and a 1.4x converter until I got lucky with the ball being legible.

— Steph Chambers

Tsukasa Yoshida of Team Japan defeats Eteri Liparteliani of Team Georgia during the Women’s Judo 57kg Contest for Bronze Medal A on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Nippon Budokan on July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Brittney Griner of Team United States knocks down Ezinne Kalu of Team Nigeria during the second half of a Women’s Preliminary Round Group B game on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 27, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Sunisa Lee of Team United States competes on balance beam during the Women’s All-Around Final on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

A general view of Niek Kimmann of Team Netherlands, James Palmer of Team Canada, Nicolas Torres of Team Argentina, Renato Rezende of Team Brazil, Helvijs Babris of Team Latvia and Twan van Gendt of Team Netherlands as they compete during the Men’s BMX quarterfinal heat 2, run 1 on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Caeleb Dressel of Team United States competes in the Men’s 100m Butterfly heats on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Jennifer Gadirova of Team Great Britain competes in the floor exercise during the Women’s All-Around Final on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Rudy Gobert of Team France dunks against Czech Republic during the second half of a Men’s Preliminary Round Group A game on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 28, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Patrick Hausding and Lars Rudiger of Germany compete during the Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard final on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Katie Ledecky of Team United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Women’s 1500m Freestyle Final on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Simone Biles and Grace McCallum of Team United States cheer during the Women’s Team Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Naomi Osaka of Team Japan reacts after a point during her Women’s Singles Third Round match against Marketa Vondrousova of Team Czech Republic on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Daniel Dhers of Team Venezuela practices for the BMX freestyle competition on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. BMX freestyle is making its debut as an Olympic sport this year. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Ebrar Karakurt of Team Turkey serves against Team Italy during the Women’s Preliminary – Pool B volleyball on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena on July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)

Zofia Noceti Klepacka of Team Poland competes in the Women’s RS:X Windsurf class on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Enoshima Yacht Harbour on July 25, 2021, in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Adam Peaty of Team Great Britain celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Agatha Bednarczuk of Team Brazil dives for the ball against Team Argentina during the Women’s Preliminary – Pool A on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Shiokaze Park on July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Cate Campbell of Team Australia competes in the Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Nyjah Huston of Team USA competes at the Skateboarding Men’s Street Prelims on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Kazuma Kaya of Team Japan competes on parallel bars during Men’s Qualification on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Chase Kalisz of Team United States competes in heat three of the Men’s 400m Individual Medley on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Stina Blackstenius of Team Sweden scores their side’s first goal past Alyssa Naeher of Team United States during the Women’s First Round Group G match between Sweden and United States during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on July 21, 2021, in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Takuya Haneda of Team Japan during training at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Center ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 21, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)