AP PHOTOS: Medal worthy Olympians, caught in motion
TOKYO (AP) - A lifetime of work, and it can go in a blur.
On the track, in the air, underwater, from the mound - Olympians are built for moving fast. In the briefest flash, much can be revealed.
Slow the shutter speed just a tick and see the focus-amid-chaos as Spain's Daniel Sarmiento Melien leaps for a handball shot.
As a competitor prepares to whiz by, mountain biker Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands comes to a unintentional halt, tumbling to the ground while his ride flies off.
Runners in the mens' 5,000-meters with their feet fuzzy beneath them. A swirl of splashes and outstretched arms around an up-for-grabs ball at water polo. The stillness of Dallas Escobedo's head as the Mexican softballer spins her arm around to deliver a pitch.
Caught in motion for a lasting moment.
Athletes compete during the track cycling women's keirin at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Izu, Japan. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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Huang Xuechen and Sun Wenyan of China compete in the duet technical routine at the the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Runners compete in a heat of the men's 5,000-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Brazil's Gabriel Medina rides a wave during a training session at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, at Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya, Japan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Anita Blaze of France, right, and Arianna Errigo of Italy compete in the women's individual Foil semifinal competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Miltiadis Tentoglou, of Greece, competes in men's long jump final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Tokyo.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Sofiia Lyskun of Ukraine competes in women's diving 10-meter platform preliminary at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands tumbles on a downhill during the men's cross country mountain bike competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Izu, Japan. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Flora Duffy, of Bermuda, runs during the women's triathlon competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Players race for the ball at the start of a preliminary round men's water polo match between Hungary and Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Mexico's Dallas Escobedo pitches during a softball game against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Runners compete in a heat of the women's 5,000-meter run at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Kyra Condie, left, of the United States, races against Aleksandra Miroslaw, of Poland, during the speed qualification portion of the women's sport climbing competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Sara Kolak, of Croatia, competes in qualifications for the women's javelin throw at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Argentina players warm up before a men's field hockey match against Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Pamela Ware, of Canada, competes in women's diving 3-meter springboard preliminary at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Spain's Daniel Sarmiento Melian scores during the men's preliminary round group A handball match between Spain and Argentina at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
Spain's Begona Garcia Grau, left, drives the ball past China's Jinrong Zhang, right, during a women's field hockey match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Chizuru Arai, of Japan, left, and Clarisse Agbegnenou of France compete during their gold medal match in team judo competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Han Da-kyung, of South Korea, swims in a heat during the women's 1500-meter freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Runners compete in a heat of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Swimmers dive in for the final of the men's 400-meter freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Germany's Dorothee Schneider, riding Showtime FRH, competes in the equestrian dressage individual final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
