What makes a good sports photo? When the ball hits the bat, or the puck stretches the twine amid a froth of sprayed ice, or every tendon wire taut as the footballer stretches to head the ball? Action shots are great, even people who’ve never seen a hockey game know the iconic picture of Bobby Orr soaring across the goal mouth after scoring the overtime winner for the Boston Bruins in the 1970 Stanley Cup finals.
But there are more subtle moments too. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat offer plenty of opportunities to feature sheer joy, the crushing void of a loss, and the pathos of personal failure.
Track and field offers some unique opportunities. It can take some time for results to be tallied and for marks and times to be posted. The throw was good but just how good? Just you wait right there while the officials measure, confer, and consult. Maybe they measure again.
In a photo finish, you don’t even know who won until the names go up on the board. Just stand in your lane and wait. You’ll find out the same time as the crowd learns. The emotion held back by a chasm just moments long releases and adds layers to the expressions. And the thrill of victory for one always means the agony of defeat for another.
Sometimes the thrill of victory is followed quickly by empathy and kindness. And then you see sportsmanship.
Below you see Emily Labbe of Scarborough High School reacting to the scoreboard showing she had just won the 2018 Maine Class A Championship in the 100 meter hurdles. She’d won by 0.02 seconds and so did not know it until her name flashed up on the board in the first spot. Labbe had bested a three time State Champion in the event who, to that point, was unbeaten in Championship races for her career. It was a huge win. Behind her another runner's fingers are crossed as the board lists the finishers slowly, one-by-one.
Watch as Labbe’s joy is tempered by fellowship for the competition, and then re-ignites.
