The 43 Best Sports Photos Of 2013

Thrills. Chills. Spills. Red Sox. What a year it was.

1.

Mohd Rasfan / AFP / Getty

Denis Odintsov BASE jumps from almost 1,000 feet up off of Kuala Lumpur Tower in Malaysia.

2.

Stan Grossfeld / Boston Globe / Getty

Steve Horgan, the most famous stadium cop in history, raises his arms in exaltation as Detroit's Torii Hunter flips into the bullpen and David Ortiz's eighth-inning home run in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series ties a critical game the Red Sox would later win.

3.

AP Photo / Charlie Neibergall

Though Michigan's Trey Burke defied physics, Louisville would still go on to win the NCAA title game, its third championship in school history.

4.

Elise Amendola / AP

Everyone says Jonny Gomes is safe at home in Game 6 of the World Series, but umpire Jim Joyce is the only one who counts.

5.

AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh

Brent Seabrook screams with happiness after scoring the game-winning overtime goal in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against Detroit.

6.

AP Photo / Eduardo Di Baia

Argentina's Santiago Silva grabs a handful of Mexico's Diego Novaretti during a match in Buenos Aires.

7.

Yves Logghe / AP

John Van Den Brom, coach of RSC Anderlecht in Belgium, celebrates as his side wins the final match of the Belgian League season against SV Zulte Waregem.

8.

AP Photo / David J. Phillip

Australia's Adam Scott wins the Masters after dropping in a birdie on the second playoff hole.

9.

Jim Davis / Boston Globe / Getty

At Fenway Park, always keep your eye on the ball.

10.

AP Photo / Jack Dempsey

Costa Rican forward Alvaro Saborio takes a shot during a World Cup qualifier against the United States in Colorado. The U.S. won 1-0.

11.

AP Photo / Kathy Willens

It was a bad year for Alex Rodriguez.

12.

Tó Mané / Barcroft Media / Landov

Garrett McNamara attempts to break the Guinness World Record for tallest wave ever surfed in Nazare, Portugal. He didn't succeed, but still holds the record from an effort in 2011.

13.

Tony Avelar / AP

Yoenis Cespedes goes head over heels but fails to make the catch.

14.

AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill

Pablo Cesar Cano's glove meets Ashley Theophane's face.

15.

AP Photo / David Vincent

Serena Williams celebrates her second French Open title.

16.

Andrew Redington / Getty

Ireland's Damien McGrane stands with his caddie as a Portugal sunset lights up the sky.

17.

AP Photo / Danny Moloshok

The Lakers' Steve Blake attempts to play hide-and-seek during an NBA game in February.

18.

Tom Lynn / Getty

Khris Davis and Carlos Gomez both go for the same fly ball in Milwaukee.

19.

Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

Jockey Giovanni Atzeni, nicknamed "Tittia" by his adoring fans, wins the prestigious/dangerous Palio di Siena horse race in August as a rider for the Onda (Wave) parish.

20.

AP Photo / York Daily Record / Jason Plotkin

Shelley White of Baltimore takes on the "Rat Trap" challenge during an endurance race in Manchester, Pa.

21.

Harry How / Getty

Colton Satterfield gets big air during X Games Los Angeles.

22.

AP Photo / Morry Gash

Spring training is fun except when bats are coming straight at your head.

23.

AP Photo / The Canadian Press / Darryl Dyck

David Savard gets up close and personal with the safety glass in Vancouver.

24.

Getty / AFP / Olivier Morin

Usain Bolt keeps his 100-meter "Fastest Man Alive" title as his meteorological namesake lights up the Moscow night sky.

25.

Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty

It wouldn't be a Tough Mudder race without mud — and dangling electrical wires.

26.

AP Photo / Laurent Cipriani

Britain's Chris Froome (in the yellow jersey) speeds through the Pyrenees on his way to winning his first career Tour de France.

27.

Justin Sullivan / Getty

There were days when spectators on land were fogged out of seeing the 2013 America's Cup race along San Francisco Bay.

28.

David McNew / Getty

Double-amputee Chris Moon of the U.K. runs in the Badwater 135 ultramarathon through Death Valley this past July.

29.

Ronald Martinez / Getty

Jeremy Evans dunks over a totally not-nervous-at-all Dahntay Jones during the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest in February.

30.

Dave Sandford / Getty

Canada's Elladj Balde is upside-down.

31.

Quinn Rooney / Getty

The rider: Megan Jones of Australia. The horse: Flowervale Maserati.

32.

Adam Pretty / Getty

Japan's Sakura Noda during a competition in May.

33.

Anthony Au-Yeung / Getty

Do you want to know what goes on inside a rugby scrum? Probably not.

34.

Suhaimi Abdullah / Getty

Chen Yun Ting of Malaysia knows both agony and ecstasy after winning an MMA fight in Singapore.

35.

Matt Roberts / Getty

Terry Evison ain't giving up. The steer sure ain't giving up. Welcome to the wrestling portion of Australia's National Rodeo Finals.

36.

Ezra Shaw / Getty

A U.S. freestyle skier practices his airborne form in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

37.

Bradley Kanaris / Getty

Australian rugby players aren't afraid to go up as needed.

38.

Shaun Botterill / Getty

A lone rider crosses the Peruvian sand dunes during day three of the Dakar Rally.

39.

Grant Halverson / Getty

Everyone's eyes are on UNC's James Michael McAdoo as he goes up (and through an N.C. State defender) for the shot.

40.

Clive Rose / Getty

Jiho Park of Korea dives in Barcelona.

41.

Harry How / Getty

San Francisco's Anthony Dixon keeps his body above ground as he dives for a touchdown.

42.

Mark Kolbe / Getty

You might think darts aren't cool. Wes Newton's right arm disagrees.

43.

AP Photo / Matt Slocum

Seconds after advancing to the 2013 World Series, closer Koji Uehara and the Boston Red Sox celebrate.

CORRECTION: The final photo shows the Red Sox advancing to the World Series. An earlier version of this story misstated the event. (12/10/13)