Canadian Olympian’s foot nominated for athletics photo of the year

With so many unforgettable moments from the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, narrowing them down to just three photos isn’t an easy task. Yet on Thursday, World Athletics announced the finalists for its prestigious Photo of the Year award, and the focal point of one of them just happens to be the foot of a Canadian Olympic steeplechaser.

The image, titled “Perseverance,” was captured by Philadelphia-based Getty Sport photographer Emilee Chinn, shows Canadian Olympian Jean-Simon Desgagnés appearing to step on the face of New Zealand star Geordie Beamish as Beamish crashed to the track after clearing a barrier. The moment blew up on social media, reaching more than one million people, and earned a spot among the Photo of the Year nominees.

Despite the visual, Beamish said the photo looked a lot worse than it was. He told FloTrack that he didn’t even know at the time that there was a spike in his face. The Kiwi ended up jumping back up from his fall to secure one of the five automatic qualifying spots for the men’s 3,000m steeplechase final. Desgagnés’ right foot clipped Beamish’s leg while trying to hurdle over him, and he also went down. Desgagnés was later advanced to the final on a referee’s decision, where he ended up finishing 13th.

Beamish came into the championships as an underdog in the steeplechase. But after surviving this dramatic fall in the heats, he delivered one of the meet’s biggest shocks, winning New Zealand’s first-ever track gold medal at a World Championships.

The nominated photographer, Chinn, told Canadian Running that she was thrilled to have captured this split-second moment. “At the time, I didn’t know how impactful the image would become,” she says. “When Beamish got back up to qualify for the final (and ultimately won gold), the moment became special.”

Chinn looks back on the photo as her favourite memory from the championships. “It reminds us all of the power of perseverance and not to give up, even if you get knocked down.”

The other two finalists for Photo of the Year are:

Vegard Grøtt (Norway): “A striking image capturing the shadows of Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordås and Sweden’s Samuel Pihlström during the men’s mile at the Bislett Games Diamond League in Oslo.”

Fabrizio Bensch (Germany): “A celebratory shot of men’s 100m bronze medallist Noah Lyles embracing his U.S. teammate Tara Davis-Woodhall, the women’s long jump gold medallist, at the World Championships.”

Finalists announced for 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year 📷

Congratulations to ✨

•⁠ ⁠Emilee Chinn
•⁠ ⁠Vegard Grøtt
•⁠ ⁠Fabrizio Bensch

🔗 https://t.co/NQsywkY2nE#AthleticsAwards pic.twitter.com/kPAD6Z5T4q

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) November 13, 2025

For this award, World Athletics said it received 141 submissions from photographers representing 41 countries. A judging panel, comprising former world champions and digital creators, narrowed the field to a shortlist of 10 before selecting the final three. The winner will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms during the World Athletics Awards on Nov. 30 in Monaco.