The Year in Photos: Sports

Every year, The Associated Press chooses a selection of photos that best documents the year’s top sports stories as chronicled by photojournalists around the world. Today, this collection was distributed by the AP to its members and subscribers worldwide.

This year’s set of compelling and newsworthy images was selected by Deputy Director of Photography Denis Paquin.

Below is a gallery featuring this year’s sports selection.

North Korean supporters hold up Korean unification flags during the ladies' 500 meters short-track speedskating at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, on Feb. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

A woman's face is reflected in glass as she watches men's curling matches at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, on Feb. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Shaun White, of the United States, celebrates winning gold after his run during the men's halfpipe finals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Gold medalist Alina Zagitova, left, and silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva, both representing the Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR), are embraced by their coach, Eteri Georgievna Tutberidze, at the women's free figure skating final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, on Feb. 23, 2018.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Marit Bjoergen, top, of Norway, celebrates with teammate Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg after winning the women's 4 x 5km relay cross-country skiing competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada celebrate during the venue ceremony after winning the gold medal in the ice dance, free dance figure skating final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, on Feb. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, of the United States, celebrates after winning against Canada in the women's gold medal hockey game at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, on Feb. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Chloe Kim, of the United States, jumps during the women's halfpipe finals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

North and South Koreans wave flags together during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Croatia's Ante Rebic, top, tackles France's Lucas Hernandez during the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts after France took the lead with a third goal by Kylian Mbappe during the round of 16 match between France and Argentina at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, on June 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Mexico's Edson Alvarez celebrates after his team won the group F match against Germany at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on June 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

French President Emmanuel Macron cheers during the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on July 15, 2018. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The French team celebrates after winning the final match against Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

France's Benjamin Mendy celebrates with the trophy after his team won the final match against Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on July 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) scores the game-winning touchdown in overtime during the College Football Playoff National Championship game between Georgia and Alabama on Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta, Ga. (AJ Reynolds/Athens Banner-Herald via AP)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles throws as he's hit by Minnesota Vikings' Eric Kendricks during the first half of the NFL football NFC championship game on Jan. 21, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey (20) and A.J. Bouye (21) break up a pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks during the second half of the AFC championship NFL football game on Jan. 21, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots' Stephon Gilmore, top, breaks up a pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles' Alshon Jeffery during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game on Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Foles catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New England Patriots on Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Real Madrid's Marcelo celebrates with the trophy after winning the Champions League Final soccer match against Liverpool at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, holds the Stanley Cup aloft during a victory rally on the National Mall in Washington on June 12, 2018. This was the first championship title for the Washington Capitals. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

England's Alastair Cook, at the end of his final match before retiring from test cricket, raises his cap as he walks off at the end of the fifth cricket test match of a five match series between England and India at the Oval cricket ground in London, on Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Tiger Woods, lower center, and Rory McIlroy, lower left, emerge from a horde of fans following Tiger on their way to the 18th green during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament in Atlanta on Sept. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Patrick Reed celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament on April 8, 2018, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Europe's Sergio Garcia, right, celebrates with Ian Poulter after Europe won the Ryder Cup on the final day of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France, on Sept. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Philippe Raud, of France, right, and Miguel Angel Alvarez Pineda, of Peru, both drivers of Toyota cars, point in opposite directions as they try to determine their way across the dunes during stage 5 of the Dakar Rally between San Juan de Marcona and Arequipa, Peru, on Jan. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Malaysia's Nur Dhabitah Sabri competes during the women's 1m springboard diving at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Ultimate fighting star Conor McGregor is led out of the 78th Police Precinct in the Brooklyn borough of New York on April 6, 2018, after his arrest following a backstage melee that forced the removal of three fights from UFC's biggest card of the year. Video footage appears to show McGregor, the promotion's most bankable star, throwing a hand truck at a bus full of fighters after a news conference for UFC 223 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Phillippines' Eumir Felix Marcial, left, lands a blow on the face of Uzbekistan's Israil Madrimov during their men's middleweight boxing semifinal at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Ofterschwang, Germany, on March 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Serena Williams argues with chair umpire Carlos Ramos during a match against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, in the women's final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 8, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Serena Williams talks with Naomi Osaka, of Japan, after Osaka defeated Williams in the women's final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 8, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Romania's Simona Halep clenches her fist after defeating Spain's Garbine Muguruza during their semifinal match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 7, 2018. Halep won 6-1, 6-4. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, celebrates after defeating Juan Martin del Potro, of Argentina, during the men's final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 9, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki shows the lipstick mark on her Australian Open trophy, the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, after a photo shoot in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 28, 2018, the day after defeating Romania's Simona Halep in the final. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after defeating Austria's Dominic Thiem in the men's final match of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 10, 2018. Nadal won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Brooks Koepka leans on the Wanamaker Trophy as he talks with his girlfriend, Jena Sims, after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis on Aug. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Gold medalist Simone Biles of the United States performs on the floor on the second and last day of the apparatus finals of the Gymnastics World Championships in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani winds up during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, Calif., on June 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Ichiro Suzuki, special assistant to the chairman of the Seattle Mariners, sits in the dugout disguised with a fake mustache and a hoodie as he watches the New York Yankees bat during the first inning of a baseball game on June 21, 2018, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Fans interfere with Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts trying to catch a ball hit by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve during the first inning in Game 4 of a baseball American League Championship Series on Oct. 17, 2018, in Houston. Altuve was called out. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Boston Red Sox celebrate after Game 5 of baseball's World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 28, 2018, in Los Angeles. The Red Sox won the game 5-1 to win the series 4 games to 1. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo, center, is flanked by his girlfriend Georgina, left, and his son Cristiano Jr., as he sits in the stands during a Champions League group H soccer match between Juventus and Young Boys, at the Allianz stadium in Turin, Italy, on Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) sits on the bench between guards George Hill, left, and Kyle Korver during the second half of Game 2 of basketball's NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif., on June 3, 2018. The Warriors won 122-103. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James during the second half of Game 4 of basketball's NBA Finals on June 8, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, of Britain, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, passes the Arc de Triomphe on July 29, 2018, during the twenty-first stage of the 116-kilometer (72.1-mile) Tour de France cycling race from Houilles to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Mike Smith rides Justify to victory during the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Mclaren driver Fernando Alonso of Spain goes over the top of Sauber driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco at the start of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, on Aug. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, sprays champagne after winning the Emirates Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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