Sport pictures of the year

Expectant crowds watch German golfer Bernhard Langer play his tee shot on the 18th hole at the Hong Kong Open Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty

Buda Anchah of Malaysia, centre, flexes his muscles during the men's 65kg body building finals at the Asia Beach Games in Bali Photograph: Achmad Ibrahim/AP

Lewis Hamilton drives his McLaren Mercedes around a sharp bend en route to winning the Chinese grand prix. Hamilton ultimately clinched his first world title at Interlagos, Brazil in November Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP

Film Set ridden by Frankie Dettori wins the Vodafone EBF Maiden Stakes at Newbury racecourse as hopeful punters watch from the trackside Photograph: Warren Little/Getty

American heptathlete Hyleas Fountain awaits the start of the women's 100m hurdles inside the National Stadium, affectionately known as the Bird's Nest, during the 2008 Olympic Games in China Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty

Tonia Couch of Great Britain plunges towards the pool in the women's Olympic 10m platform semi-final at the National Aquatics Centre Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty

Manchester United's French defender Patrice Evra falls acrobatically over the shoulders of Hull City's forward Daniel Cousin during their Premier League clash at Old Trafford. United won 4-3 despite a spirited late comeback from the newly promoted club Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP

Torn to pieces; a Hull KR rugby league player sports a ripped jersey after a clash with one of his St Helens opponents. Having led 22-6 after 43 minutes, Hull KR only narrowly escaped with a 24-22 victory come the final whistle Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

A pliant young gymnast performs astonishing exercises under the weight of his Chinese coach Photograph: Oded Balilty/AP

Andy Johnson, left, and Lee Carsley of Everton mirror one another before the start of their Premier League match against Reading at Goodison Park Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty

Silhouettes of jockeys and their horses are cast onto the sand as they prepare to race in the sixth Wuhan International Equestrian Festival in China Photograph: China Photos/Getty

Michael Phelps adjusts his goggles before the men's 200m freestyle final at the National Aquatics Center. Phelps finished the race in a world record time of 1 min 42.96 secs, contributing to a personal tally of eight Olympic gold medals at the Games Photograph: Al Bello/Getty

Andy Murray embarks on what proved to be an unsuccessful bid to win the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Murray is pictured during a first round match against Frenchman Fabrice Santoro at the All England Club Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty

A referee fires an explosive starting gun at the IAAF Super Grand Prix athletics meeting in Lausanne Photograph: Pascal Lauener/Reuters

Battered, brusied and in evident distress, Gogshelidze of Georgia walks off the floor after the men's 96kg freestyle Olympic wrestling competition Photograph: Streeter Lecka/Getty

Russia's female volleyball players reach skyward in unison as they play Brazil in their women's preliminary pool match at the Olympic Games Photograph: Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters

Jamaica's Usain Bolt completes an historic double, winning the men's 200m Olympic final in a world record time of 19.30 secs to add to his gold medal and world record of 9.69 secs in the 100m sprint Photograph: Dan Chung/Guardian