The best sports photos of 2017

Sports give us some of the most defining moments of each year.

Looking back through photos serves as a reminder not only of events forgotten, but of the range of emotions that come with them.

From happiness to anger, to sadness and celebration, to incredible highlights, these are our favorite photos of the year, courtesy of The Associated Press and Getty Images.

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Markus Eisenbichler of Germany soars through the air.

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Serena Williams serves at the Australian Open. It was later revealed she won the tournament while pregnant.

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Cristiano Ronaldo wins the Ballon d’Or.

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Julian Edelman makes a circus catch in the Super Bowl.

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Off-field rivals Roger Goodell and Tom Brady awkwardly shake hands.

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Sergio Garcia celebrates a successful putt to win the Masters.

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Barcelona players observe a moment of silence for the victims of terrorist attack in the Spanish city in August.

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A Gonzaga basketball player experiences the agony of defeat.

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What’s more relaxing than a baseball game on a summer evening?

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Conor McGregor puts on a show in the buildup to his bout with Floyd Mayweather.

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Mayweather had the upper hand in the fight, however.

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The Warriors celebrate clinching the NBA championship.

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Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada look like something out of a Hollywood musical.

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Marc-Andre ter Stegen of FC Barcelona makes a save during a practice.

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Kendra Harrison of the US prepares for the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics Championships.

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Quite the view at the Ski World Championships in Switzerland in February.

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Snow falls in Buffalo, New York, ahead of the Bills and Indianapolis Colts’ “Snow Bowl.”

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Pittsburgh Penguins players erupt at advancing to the Stanley Cup final, which they later won for the second straight year.

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A competitor pole vaults at an open during Zatopek 10 in Melbourne, Australia.

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The Green Bay Packers arrive at training camp with their annual biking ceremony.

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Usain Bolt gave fans a farewell after his final race at the IAAF World Athletics Championship.

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The doubles pair Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic celebrate winning the final at the Australian Open.

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Fog obscures the Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons.

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Tiger Woods returns to golf under blue skies at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

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Ouch!

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The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid stands next to the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve.

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Who’s smoother than Roger Federer?

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LeBron James and Enes Kanter argue — believe it or not.

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Things get tense in soccer matches, too.

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Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland A’s becomes the first MLB player to kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice.

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Houston Texans players kneel during the national anthem after the team’s owner made controversial comments about players who protest.

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Gordon Hayward suffers a gruesome ankle injury in the opening minutes of the NBA’s season.

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Hockey is organized chaos.

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Jordan Spieth and his caddy go nuts after a tournament-winning bunker shot at the Travelers Championship.

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There’s something extra joyous about soccer celebrations.

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Very joyous.

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Pure exhaustion after the women’s 5000 meters at the IAAF World Athletics Championships.

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This about sums up Novak Djokovic’s year on the tennis court.

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Being a goalie is dangerous.

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Scotland sneaks in a goal over England in a World Cup qualifier.

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Perfect conditions at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.

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Now, recall NFL players who didn’t live up to the hype:

The biggest NFL draft busts of the past 15 years »