AP sports photos of the year capture unforgettable snippets in time from the games we love

They are snippets in time, unforgettable snapshots that gloriously capture the soaring euphoria and gut-wrenching agony of the games we love, not to mention the randomness of a moment that might've gone unnoticed otherwise.

There are the Kansas City Chiefs, dunking head coach Andy Reid with a jug-full of frigid drink after their stirring Super Bowl triumph over the Philadelphia

Eagles, fulfilling what has become a rite of passage in all gridiron celebrations.

And the Vegas Golden Knights, gathered in a giant group hug behind the net after capturing the NHL's Stanley Cup championship, the glittering ice beneath their skates littered with discarded gloves.

Then there's Femke Bol, a track athlete from the Netherlands, tumbling toward the track with a gasp of disbelief across her face, the baton slipping from her grasp as she falls near the finish line of a relay race at the world championships.

And Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, smashing a golf club across his leg like a child trying to snap a tree limb in half, the frustration evident after an errant shot from the thick rough at the U.S. Open.

But let's not forget Petra Kvitova

of the Czech Republic, her braided ponytail soaring above her head as she whacks a serve at the Wimbledon tennis championships.

And Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, captured in another close-up at the very instant that a foul ball smashed off his mask during an otherwise ho-hum game in the midst of summer at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

Sure, we're all intrigued by the most notable among us, whether it's singer Taylor Swift cheering from a football luxury suite or Britain's King Charles III letting out a gasp from the royal box at the Royal Ascot horse racing meet. But countless moments give us the full picture.

Thanks to the photographers of The Associated Press, so many of them will remain a timeless part of our memories.

South Africa's Jesse Kriel, right, and South Africa's Eben Etzebeth celebrate after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Africa won the match 12-11. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

(AP Photo/Jon Super) Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho scores his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester United, at Goodison Park Stadium, in Liverpool, England, Sunday , Nov. 26, 2023.

Alexis Holmes, of the USA anchors her team to the gold medal as Femke Bol, of the Netherlands fell near the finish in the final of the 4x400-meters mixed relay during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Spain's Salma Paralluelo lies on the ground with her medal at the end of the Women's World Cup soccer final between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Spain won 1-0. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Inter Milan's Edin Dzeko is challenged by AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori, top, during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Inter Milan and AC Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Manchster City players celebrate their 1-0 win at the end of the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Simone Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and the 2016 Olympic champion, practices on the uneven bars at the U.S. Classic gymnastics competition Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Rory McIlroy reacts after his shot from the rough on the 14th hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Los Angeles Country Club on Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken of Germany celebrate winning the men's doubles race at the Luge World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Terence Crawford, right, hits Errol Spence Jr. during their undisputed welterweight championship boxing match, Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)