September 19, 2024

Olympics Photo of the Day: The Moment of Impact

1 min read

Mohd Rasfan / AFP / Getty

In the split-second after taking a huge punch to the face, Canada’s Wyatt Sanford was photographed during a match against Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Abdullaev in the men’s 63.5-kilogram quarterfinal boxing event at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte. These sorts of photos are fairly common in boxing coverage, but that doesn’t take away from their impact—as they reveal shockwaves rippling through a person’s surprisingly flexible face and hint at the pain and disorientation the boxer surely feels. Sanford went on to win the match, setting himself up for a medal.

Previously:

  • July 31: Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström, Up Close and Underwater

  • July 30: Celebrating a Winning Women’s Gymnastics Team Effort

  • July 29: Surfer Filipe Toledo Gets the Barrel

  • July 28: An Equestrian Leaps Through the Antlers

  • July 27: A Fencer’s Moment of Victory