Olympics Photo of the Day: Up Close and Underwater

A unique portrait of a swimmer in mid-competition

Olympics Photo of the Day: Up Close and Underwater
A close view of a swimmer's face, seen from below, underwater, as they swim in a race
Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty

Every time a new Olympic Games takes place, photojournalists endeavor to cover the action in novel and compelling ways—not only taking advantage of new technology, but also using their professional eye to discover new angles or framing. AFP photographer Oli Scarff placed an underwater camera in just the right position to capture close views of swimmers as they pass by above. Here, a vivid and close view of the face of Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström, looking toward the camera and surrounded by distortions of light along the water’s surface, as she competes in a heat of the women’s 100m freestyle swimming event at the Paris La Defense Arena.

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