Hilarious Sports Pics That Were Taken At Just The Right Moment

These pictures were taken at just the right moment (or just the wrong moment, depending on which way you look at it)
Athletes are some of the most admired people on earth. From their posters decorating a child’s bedroom to older people wanting to take a picture with them: they are often seen as idols. This is, of course, because they often show us the amazing things the human body is capable of. Sometimes they even seem to go further than what should be humanly possible.

Today, we’ll show you that while we often seem to think they are, athletes aren’t perfect. We’ve collected some of the funniest sports bloopers to have ever happened. We’re so glad people were able to capture these moments on camera, because they had us rolling on the floor laughing! Our personal favorite is #23. Which one do you think is the absolute funniest blooper of them all?

28 PHOTOS

1. “Hey there, gorgeous!”

This wakeboarder was on his way to breaking a world record when he suddenly realized he wasn’t alone. The water below him acted like a mirror, showing a very handsome young man. As you can see, he didn’t hesitate to get closer to his mirror image. It reminds us a bit of the famous painting of Narcissus, falling in love with himself. Anyway, it makes for a funny picture! 

2. Angles

Some angles just don’t look very flattering. This athlete had just finished pole vaulting and hit the mat when a photographer decided to capture the moment.  Unfortunately for the athlete, it didn’t make for a very flattering image. We’re sure there were better pictures of her in action, leaping over the high bar and maybe even setting a record!

3. Ballhead

This hilarious photograph shows a gymnast who seems to have a ball for a head. Of course, this is only an optical illusion: her head is hidden behind the ball. But at first glance, it looks quite eery! It’s a hilarious photograph that was taken just at the right time by the keen-eyed photographer at the scene.

4. Another ball head

This seems to be a recurring theme! This basketball player also has a ball for the head. Maybe this is just the newest fashion trend, that we somehow missed out on… This can’t just be a coincidence, right? What do you think? Would you rock the bullhead look next summer?

5. Just a little taste

This photo made us laugh out loud. For some unknown reason, this basketball player seems to be licking the armpit of the other player. Why he’s doing it, or why he even has his tongue out in the first place, is a complete mystery to us. It does make for a hilarious picture, however!

6. Because you’re worth it

This athlete seems to be posing for a L’Oréal advertisement, the way he has flicked his hair back and is gracefully dousing it with his water bottle. Temperatures must’ve risen high for this athlete to want to cool down, but the way he’s doing it… We’re sure his female fans must’ve found it pretty hot.

7. Shocked

Can you guess what these swimmers are so shocked about? Maybe they found an enormous fish underwater, and are showing the people outside the pool just how large it is. Maybe they just found out that they had won the competition, or maybe they just found out that the water is indeed wet. 

8. Number two

And what about this swimmer? Can you guess what he’s doing? Is he doing a cannonball? Or maybe he just really has to go number two… According to his face, he’s tensing every muscle in his body. Perhaps he’s thinking of a career switch to sumo wrestling! Whatever it is, it makes for a hilarious picture.

9. Water surface

This photo looks super strange. It’s a swimmer who’s emerging from below the water but hasn’t broken the so-called surface tension yet. The water surrounds his features like jelly or slime, which kind of makes it look like he’s a SciFi alien in hibernation. Brrrr. If the picture had been taken one second later, it would’ve looked completely different. The water surface would’ve been broken and the illusion would’ve been gone.

10. Here’s a foot

This hilarious picture of these swimmers shows one of them trying to help the one on top by keeping her upright. The one at the top, however, seems to have been surprised by the sudden appearance of a foot near her sensitive areas. It makes for a hilarious picture that is perfectly timed.

11. Ice skating

This ice skater just fell down from the shoulders of her male partner and is now skating across the ice… On her face. The ice particles flying around make it look extremely dramatic. We’re sure this must’ve hurt and we hope she’s okay, but we have to admit… It does look kind of funny.

12. Saving his son

This basketball fan’s superhuman reflexes have just saved his son from a nasty surprise. The son, who seems to have been glued to his smartphone, was just about to receive a baseball bat to the face if it hadn’t been for what appears to be his dad. We’re glad this photo was taken because we’re sure this will be a family memory that they will never forget.

13. Filter or no filter

This perfectly timed photograph of this American runner looks like it has been modified with a Snapchat filter. However, this is truly his own face. The optical illusion is caused by the speed at which the man was running, along with the angle. Believe us, his nose isn’t stuck to his upper lip.

14. Wrong ball

This soccer player went for the wrong ball when he planted his legs in between the legs of his opponent. And from the look on the opponent's face, we can tell he went for it pretty hard. It looks like he’s lifted him off the ground with the power of his kick. Oof. The picture, however, was perfectly timed and that’s why we’ve included it in this gallery.

15. Just chilling in the air

This pole vaulter decided to take a while to gather her strength. Only, she did it in mid-air. Of course, this isn’t actually the case, but it sure looks like it from this perfectly timed photo. She’s on her way to clearing the pole and maybe even setting a record. Great job!

16. Legs everywhere

This crazy photograph was taken during a game of footvolley, a sport that combines elements of soccer and volleyball. One of the players is attacking, while the other is defending. What makes this photograph so hilarious is the fact that their legs seem to be everywhere. They had to be extremely flexible to be able to move them in these directions!

17. Brace for impact

This athlete was pictured bracing for impact as she hit the sand. You can see the sand already beginning to move up, while her face is fully prepared for the avalanche that is about to hit it. It’s a hilarious, perfectly timed photograph that we thought was very funny.

18. Oops

This ice skating couple was performing at their peak. Everything went well. Pirouettes, somersaults, all the crazy athletic moves. But then one of the photographers took this picture and it became all their performance was remembered for. He took it at just the right moment to peek below the woman’s skirt. 

19. Left behind

It’s survival of the fittest out there on the track. In the picture above, you see that one of the hurdlers was unable to clear the hurdle and fell face-first to the floor. The other athletes didn’t hesitate for a moment but saw their chance to leave him in the dust. It’s kind of a sad image. Poor hurdler.

20. Another one

Remember the photo from a few slides ago, where the swimmer was being held up by a foot in her private area? Well, apparently it happens more often. Here’s a different angle of the unwelcome surprise that this swimmer encountered while hovering above the water.

20. Afraid of the ball

Either this basketball player was really shocked by the fact that he dropped the ball, or this is some kind of horror flick in which the ball is attacking the basketball player. Whatever it is, it’s extremely funny to see someone who works with these balls for a living, being scared of them.

21. The Baseball Killer

Talking about being scared of the ball… This also seems like some kind of arthouse horror movie in which a baseball starts taking revenge on professional baseball players. Can you imagine the player running away from the ball? This picture is absolutely hilarious. Of course this isn’t what’s really going on, but what’s life without a little imagination?

22. Baseball bat to the face

Remember that photo a few slides back, of the father saving his son from a baseball bat to the face? Yeah, this man wasn’t as lucky. He seems to have been fully focused on the game, when out of nowhere, a baseball hat was launched towards his head. We hope he’s okay, because it looks like it must’ve hurt.

23. Funny face

Lifting heavy weights isn’t easy, so nobody’s going to blame you for making some hilariously funny faces while doing it. Still, it is very funny to zoom in on weightlifters faces while they’re going for a personal record. This man gave it is all and it shows in this funny picture.

24. Missed catch

This father and his daughter were attending a baseball game, when a baseball was hit in their direction. The daughter bravely went for the catch… But missed. On the expense of dad’s drink. The baseball hit his glass at full force, spraying it all over the duo. We’re glad this funny moment was caught on camera!

25. “This is my concentration face”

This swimming duo was ready to show the judges just how great their performance really was. The athlete standing on the other’s shoulders, seems to be going all in. This is evident from the look of pure concentration on her face, which looks quite funny on this picture. We hope they won the competition!

26. Wrong ball!

Another instance of a soccer player going for the wrong ball. This time, however, the ball is close and the player was just too late (or early, we can’t be sure). That doesn’t matter to the athlete with number 9, of course, as he’s now in a world of pain. Poor him.

28. Slime monster

This hilarious photo of this professional swimmer looks like it would fit right in a classic horror movie, like The Creature of the Black Lagoon. The shimmering water makes her look shiny, while the look on her face is one that wouldn’t look out of place on a zombie.