Most iconic sports image-Matt

In 1999, The United States women’s soccer team won the World Cup, and beat China in the final game. The game went to penalty kicks, where ultimately the U.S. won 5-4. Mia Hamm has become the face of that team, and a big reason why was her celebration and the photo taken during that celebration. The image itself is so American it’s hard not to call it a quintessential piece of American photography of sport. She lays on her knees with here arms extended at a 45 degree angle and into the air. Her muscles are contracting. Her facial expression is one of complete and total ecstasy; this likely being the highlight of her life. 

The focus of the shot is on Mia Hamm, while the background is blurred out to increase this emphasis. In the background is a Coca Cola sign that takes up about a third of the background space. This iconic American brand paired up with an American athlete winning a World Cup is a symbol for American power and prosperity. This image seems to take influence from the Documentary Photography. The purpose of the image is to capture the moment as it is happening, not to focus on the flaws or sublimity, but just to display the subject as it really is. In this sense the image succeeds tremendously, and it happens to be one of the most iconic sports photos ever.