Any photo of Michael Phelps can be considered iconic. Here's a look at the other extraordinary images from this year.

A competitor jumps fire during the Tough Guy race Jan. 30 in Telford, England.

J.J. Killeen hits his tee shot on the 11th hole at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Carl Edwards practices March 17 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski went on to win the race.

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing drives during the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix in Shanghai, China on Sunday. Nico Rosberg went on to win the race.

Turkish rider Recep Unalan competes in the Men's Omnium Individual Pursuit during day three of the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships at Hisense Arena in Melbourne, Australia.

Runners make their way around the 13-kilometer course during Nike She Runs The Night at Centennial Park in Sydney, Australia.

Runners compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during the Seiko Golden Grand Prix at Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki, Japan.

A competitor practices before the Olympic US National Team Trials at the Boathouse District on the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City.

A view of England's largest set of Olympic Rings, which have been erected on the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle, England. The aluminum monument is approximately 80 feet wide and 40 feet high.

A multiple-exposure image captures Olympic competitor Jun Hoong Cheong of Malaysia during diving training at the Aquatic Centre in London.

Runners are chased by a wild cow during festivities in the bullring following the fifth day of the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.

Campbellsport catcher Bennet Krueger has a wall of dust hit him as Kewaskum's Brad Boegel slides into home during a baseball game in Kewaskum, Wis.

Ronda Rousey enters the arena before her bout against Sarah Kaufman during the Strikeforce event at Valley View Casino Center in California.

Severin Freund of Germany makes an attempt during the training session of the third stage of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Innsbruck, Austria, on Jan. 3.

Chinese Divers Ruolin Chen and Hao Wang work in tandem during a synchronized swimming training session at the Aquatics Centre in Olympic Park. Review highlights of the US synchronized diving trials.

US Olympic sprint legend Michael Johnson holds the Olympic flame at Stonehenge, England. Johnson, who won four Olympic golds and eight world championship gold medals, holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 meters and as part of the 1,600m relay.

Josh Frost of Randlett, Utah, jumps off his horse to capture a steer in the steer wrestling event during the final day of competition at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Okla.

Fireworks explode above the stadium during the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Time-lapse photography captures the moment as motorcycle rider Robbie Maddison jumps 378 feet, 9 inches and Snowmobile rider Levi LaVallee jumps 412 feet, 6 inches, both breaking records during the "Red Bull: New Year. No Limits." event on Dec. 31 in San Diego, Calif.

Michelle Heyman of Canberra kicks a ball during the 2012-13 W-League season launch at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 in Sydney, Australia.

Gabby Douglas (USA) competes on the balance beam during the women's team qualification at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Aron Szilagyi (HUN), right, defeats Diego Occhiuzzi (ITA) to win the mens sabre individual final during the 2012 London Olympic Games at ExCeL - South Arena 1.

Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide takes the field with his players during the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game.

A young girl squeezes between an honour guard of soldiers to get a glimpse of Johnson Beharry VC carrying the Olympic torch at the National War Memorial on Armed Forces Day.

Zhan Bleniuk of Ukraine (top) fights with Laimutis Adomaitis of Lithuania (bottom) during the bronze medal Men's Greco-Roman 66kg style match at the European Wrestling Championships.

Wide receiver Golden Tate (81) of the Seattle Seahawks makes a catch in the end zone to defeat the Green Bay Packers on a controversial call by the replacement officials.

Footballer Didier Drogba carries the Olympic flame through Swindon in Wiltshire, England.
 

Mario Balotelli of Italy is dejected after being defeated in the UEFA EURO 2012 Final match between Spain and Italy at the NSK Olimpiejsky Stadium on July 01, 2012 in Kiev, Ukraine.

Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Cheney celebrate with the American flag after defeating Japan by a score of 2-1 to win the gold medal in the London Games.

Manny Pacquiao (L) lies face down on the mat after being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Kelly Slater of the United States placed equal 3rd in the Billabong Pipe Masters.

Oregon Ducks players stand on the sideline as the Ducks take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the 98th Rose Bowl Game.

The No. 8 DP Starworks Motorsports Ford Rley driven by Enzo Potolicchio, Ryan Dalziel, Alex Popow, Lucas Luhr and Allan McNish runs off the track during the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Venezuela's Jesus Aguilar crashes as he goes over the finish line in the men's 800-meter T53 heats at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Norway's Oyunn Grindem competes during the Golden High Jump meeting Jan. 28 at the Lotto Arena in Antwerp, Belgium.