England earn European glory and Messi magic carries Argentina – 2022 in pictures
PA Sport Staff
·13 min read
It has been another eventful year of sporting action.
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses claimed Euro 2022 glory, England triumphed at the men’s T20 World Cup, and Roger Federer called time on his illustrious career.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the last 12 months through the best sporting pictures.
Skating on thin ice
Russian Olympic Committee skater Kamila Valieva dazzles at the Beijing Winter Games. The then 15-year-old initially shone on her debut on Olympic ice, threatening to eclipse her own world record in the short program. Many were already calling her the greatest ever – before a failed drugs test which evolved into one of the biggest scandals in Olympic history. Valieva eventually fell apart in front of the watching world, plunging to fourth place in the final standings after falling twice and suffering a series of further errors as 17-year-old compatriot Anna Shcherbakova took gold (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Jumping for joy
Great Britain’s Olympic gold medal-winning women’s curling team of Mili Smith, Hailey Duff, Jennifer Dodds, Vicky Wright and Eve Muirhead jump for joy after topping the podium at the Beijing Winter Olympics courtesy of victory over Japan. The quintet’s success in February was later recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Captain Muirhead, already an MBE, was made an OBE, while Dodds, Duff, Wright and alternate Smith were each made MBEs (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Azzurri blues for woeful Wales
Ange Capuozzo, right, and Louis Rees-Zammit compete for the ball during Italy’s shock 22-21 Six Nations win over Wales in Cardiff. The Azzurri broke their seven-year losing sequence in the tournament after a superb break from Capuozzo set up a last-gasp try for Edoardo Padovani. Following just 13 wins from 34 Test matches under his leadership, Wayne Pivac left his role as Wales head coach earlier this month. Warren Gatland, who was in charge of Wales between 2007 and 2019, returned as Pivac’s replacement (David Davies/PA)
Max speed
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen flies around the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in April en route to victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy. The Dutch driver won 15 of 22 races in the 2022 season as he claimed his second consecutive world drivers’ championship (David Davies/PA)
City slickers
Manchester City fans invade the pitch after their side were crowned Premier League champions on a dramatic final day of the season. City fell 2-0 behind at home to Aston Villa to give rivals Liverpool hope of pipping them to the title. But Pep Guardiola’s side scored three times in a spellbinding six-minute period to claim a crucial 3-2 success, prompting jubilant scenes at the Etihad Stadium (Martin Rickett/PA)
Runners and riders
Runners and riders in action during The Poundland Surrey Stakes in early June. The race, part of the Cazoo Derby Festival at Epsom, was won by Ever Given, ridden by Daniel Tudhope and trained by Hugo Palmer. Tudhope previously won the event in 2014, riding That Is The Spirit (David Davies/PA)
United for Ukraine
Ukraine fans share an emotional moment in the stands ahead of their country’s World Cup qualifying play-off final against Wales in June in Cardiff. The sporting world showed solidarity with Ukraine in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. Wales clinched the spot in Qatar after a Gareth Bale goal earned a 1-0 win (Mike Egerton/PA)
Here’s Jonny
England’s Jonny Bairstow celebrates his century after registering 102 runs from 77 balls during day five of the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The Yorkshireman was later named 2022 LV= Insurance Test Player of the Summer, having hit four fabulous hundreds and amassed 681 runs at an average of 75.6. Yet his year ended on a sour note after he missed the T20 World Cup due to suffering a broken leg and dislocated ankle during a freak accident on a golf course (Mike Egerton/PA)
Ready, Freddie, go
Freddie Burns celebrates at Twickenham after his last-gasp drop goal secured Leicester’s ninth Gallagher Premiership title. The fly-half, a first-half replacement for the injured George Ford, coolly slotted the decisive kick with 20 seconds of normal time remaining to earn a 15-12 victory over Saracens. Success for the Tigers dramatically dashed Sarries’ hopes of completing a stunning rise following their salary cap scandal and relegation humiliation (Mike Egerton/PA)
Sparks fly
Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu slides towards the barrier after a dramatic collision at the start of the 2022 British Grand Prix. The Chinese rookie said he did not know how he survived the opening-corner accident at Silverstone. He ended up wedged between a steel barrier and metal catch fencing after he was flipped upside down and out of control at 160mph but emerged unscathed from one of the biggest crashes in recent Formula One memory (Tim Goode/PA)
Taking the Nick
Nick Kyrgios plays a shot through his legs during his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic. The temperamental Australian’s run to his first grand slam final was littered with controversy, including run-ins with umpires, line judges and the media, and there were times when he looked set to go into full meltdown mode against Djokovic. He received a code violation for swearing and also accused a spectator of having had “about 700 drinks”. Kyrgios later apologised for that comment and donated £20,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital (Zac Goodwin/PA)
Champagne Super-Novak
Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after maintaining his stranglehold on Wimbledon. The Serbian beat a frustrated Nick Kyrgios 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (3) to win a fourth consecutive title at the All England Club and a 21st grand slam crown. Another memorable centre court triumph was the highlight of a difficult year for Djokovic in which he was unable to compete at the Australian Open and the US Open due to his anti-vaccination stance (Adam Davy/PA)
Tearful Tiger
Tiger Woods waves to the crowd as he crosses Swilcan Bridge during day two of The Open at St Andrews. The famously stoic American, who almost had to have his right leg amputated after a car crash last year, was visibly moved by the reception he received as he walked down the 18th fairway of the Old Course – where he has won two of his three Claret Jugs. With the event unlikely to return to St Andrews for some time, the 15-time major winner bade a likely farewell to the Scottish venue but promised he would be back to play in The Open (Jane Barlow/PA)
Splash landing
Germany’s Lea Meyer makes a splash at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon – but not in the way she had hoped. The runner plunged head first into the water pit after catching her leg while attempting to jump the hurdle during the 3000m steeplechase heats. The tumble yielded eye-catching images and left her to complete the race soaking wet. Her time of 9:30.81 was insufficient for a spot in the final but she recovered to claim European silver in Munich a month later (Martin Rickett/PA)
Smith stuns McIlroy
Cameron Smith kisses the Claret Jug in July after winning the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews. The Australian produced a stunning final round to inflict more major misery on a shell-shocked Rory McIlroy. Northern Irishman McIlroy held a two-shot lead midway through the final round and carded a bogey-free closing 70, but that was not enough to end his eight-year drought in the sport’s biggest tournaments. Smith finished 20 under par, beating the previous best of 19 under on the Old Course set by Tiger Woods in 2000 (David Davies/PA)
Cause for concern
England’s Matt Walls goes over the barrier and into the crowd during a terrifying accident at the Commonwealth Games. The Olympic omnium champion received treatment for more than 40 minutes at the Lee Valley VeloPark before being taken away by ambulance. Two other riders – the Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock and Canada’s Derek Gee – were also taken to hospital, while two spectators were treated for minor injuries. The incident prompted Dame Laura Kenny to call for the installation of bigger barriers or screens at velodromes (John Walton/PA)
Roaring success
Chloe Kelly swirls her shirt above her head after scoring England’s extra-time winner in the Euro 2022 final against Germany at Wembley. A crowd of 87,192 watched the Lionesses clinch a 2-1 victory and the first piece of major silverware for an England senior side since the men’s 1966 World Cup triumph over West Germany. Substitute Kelly struck in the 110th minute after Ella Toone’s lobbed opener was cancelled out by Lina Magull (Adam Davy/PA)
Flattened by Platten
English judoka Amy Platten, in blue, takes on Malawi’s Harriet Bonface at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Platten wasted little time in winning the bronze medal match in the women’s 48kg category as she swiftly shook off the disappointment of her semi-final defeat to South Africa’s Michaela Whitebooi. She required just 14 seconds to claim the final podium place after expertly executing an Ippon (David Davies/PA)
All smiles
Dame Laura Kenny, centre, enjoys a joke on the podium after winning gold in the women’s 10km scratch at the Commonwealth Games. The 30-year-old subsequently revealed she had gone to bed the night before wondering if it would be her last competitive ride. The five-time Olympic champion endured a traumatic period following last year’s Tokyo Games, suffering a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy. A late burst of speed saw her home, with New Zealand’s Michaela Drummond, right, being forced to settle for silver and Canada’s Maggie Coles-Lyster, left, clinching bronze (John Walton/PA)
Peaty makes a splash
Swimmer Adam Peaty roars with delight after winning 50m breaststroke gold to finish a rollercoaster few days at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on a high. The Englishman’s eight-year unbeaten run in the 100m ended two days earlier, prompting him to concede he had expected too much of himself on his comeback from a broken foot. Peaty warned his rivals he would respond to that disappointment and duly claimed the only major gold medal missing from his vast collection after touching the wall first in 26.76 seconds (David Davies/PA)
Great Scot!
Scotland’s Eilish McColgan celebrates winning the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games. McColgan clinched gold in a record time of 30:48:60 to emulate her mother Liz McColgan’s achievement at the 1986 Games in Edinburgh. Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the feat brought a “tear in the eye”. McColgan also won 5000m silver in Birmingham (Mike Egerton/PA)
Rhythm is a dancer
Rhythmic gymnast Suzanna Shahbazian produces a mesmerising performance as she competes at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The Canadian, along with Tatiana Cocsanova and Carmel Kallemaa, took home gold from the all-round team event. She also won silver in the individual ball discipline (Mike Egerton/PA)
Old Roger
A tearful Roger Federer waves goodbye to professional tennis. The 20-time grand slam champion teamed up with fellow great Rafael Nadal on an emotional night at the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London. Federer, 41, cried as he hugged Nadal and other players, then took acclaim from the thousands of fans who chanted his name before receiving a long ovation as he walked off court for the final time. “It’s been the perfect journey. I’d do it all again,” he said (John Walton/PA)
Bowled over
Captain Jos Buttler lifts the T20 World Cup trophy after England beat Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ben Stokes once again delivered under the fiercest of pressure situations as England were crowned champions following a nail-biting five-wicket win. Stokes anchored a chase of 138 with an over to spare, registering 52 not out from 49 balls, as England became the first men’s side to hold ODI and T20 World Cups simultaneously (PA Wire)
Wales kneed a miracle
Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey wipes out Iran’s Mehdi Taremi with a rash challenge during the World Cup group stage. Following VAR intervention, the Nottingham Forest player was sent off before his country conceded a pair of costly late goals in a 2-0 defeat which left them requiring a minor miracle to progress. Wales ended a 64-year World Cup exodus by qualifying for Qatar but endured a largely forgettable tournament after their opening draw against the United States was followed by losses to Iran and England, resulting in an early exit (Mike Egerton/PA)
Rashford makes his Marc
Marcus Rashford celebrates the first of his two goals – a powerful free-kick – in England’s 3-0 World Cup win over Wales. The comfortable success for Gareth Southgate’s men secured top spot in Group B and set up a last-16 meeting with Senegal, while simultaneously eliminating rivals Wales. Despite his standout display, Manchester United forward Rashford was only afforded a further 30 minutes of action in the tournament. Euro 2020 finalists England dispatched Senegal 3-0 but crashed out following a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France (Mike Egerton/PA)
Japanese joy
Japan captain Maya Yoshida leads the celebrations following his country’s surprise 2-1 World Cup win over Spain. In a tournament packed with shocks, the Japanese defeated Germany and the Spanish en route to finishing top of Group E before suffering a last-16 exit following a penalty shootout loss to Croatia (Nick Potts/PA)
Bye-bye Brazil
Brazil players appear dejected during their World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout defeat to Croatia. Neymar put the pre-tournament favourites ahead in extra-time by equalling Pele’s Brazil scoring record of 77 FIFA-registered goals. But Bruno Petkovic levelled for the 2018 runners-up with four minutes to play before Brazilian pair Rodrygo and Marquinhos each failed from the spot (Mike Egerton/PA)
Messi magic
Argentina captain Lionel Messi accelerates away from Netherlands trio Cody Gakpo, Marten de Roon and Virgil van Dijk during the World Cup quarter-finals. The Paris St Germain star has been in fine form in Qatar to help his country reach the final. He claimed a sensational assist, as well as his fourth goal of the tournament, in the tense penalty shootout triumph over the Dutch (Adam Davy/PA)
Dutch despair
Argentina’s players provocatively taunt the despondent Dutch after dumping the Netherlands out of the World Cup on penalties. An epic, chaotic and ill-tempered quarter-final clash featured a record-breaking 18 yellow cards. The match, dubbed the ‘Battle of Lusail’, finished 2-2 after a dramatic late brace from substitute Wout Weghorst forced extra-time following Nahuel Molina’s opener and a Lionel Messi penalty (Peter Byrne/PA)
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