Decisive Moments at the Rio Olympics, Frame By Frame

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Triple jump

Either Leg Is Golden for Taylor

This was Christian Taylor’s first, and longest, attempt (17.86 meters). It secured him the gold medal. He won the event in London taking off on a painful left leg. He prevailed in Rio taking off on his right.

Photographs by Joe Ward. Composite image by Jeremy White.

17.86 meters

Beach volleyball

Battle on the Beach

On match point in their semifinal, the Brazilian team of Barbara Seixas and Agatha Bednarczuk ousted Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross of the United States.

Photographs and composite image by Jeremy White.

Bednarczuk

Ross

Bednarczuk

Seixas

Walsh-Jennings

Equestrian

Skelton and Big Star Were Tops in Show Jumping

Here is Nick Skelton, riding Big Star, in the six-rider jump-off. Skelton had a flawless round, earning the 58-year-old British rider his first medal in what was his seventh Olympic Games.

Photographs and composite image by Sergio Peçanha.

High jump

Derek Drouin, the Games’ Highest Jumper

This gold-medal winning jump by the Canadian was 2.38 meters (7.8 feet). He cleared all the previous heights without a miss.

Photographs by Joe Ward. Composite image by Jeremy White.

2.38 meters

Balance Beam

Dismount on the Way to Gold

Here is the beam dismount of Laurie Hernandez during the team competition. She had the third-highest score on the beam, helping the American team win gold.

Photographs by Bedel Saget. Composite image by Jeremy White and Sergio Peçanha.

Double salto in pike position

Roundoff

Boxing

A Boxing First for Brazil

Robson Conceição won Brazil’s first Olympic boxing gold medal. The lightweight defeated Sofiane Oumiha of France in a unanimous decision.

Photographs and composite image by Sergio Peçanha.

Conceição

Oumiha

Hurdles

A Sweep in the Hurdles

Brianna Rollins of the United States cruised to gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, followed by teammates Nia Ali (silver) and Kristi Castlin (bronze).

Photographs by Jeffrey Furticella. Composite image by Jeremy White.

Ali

Rollins

Castlin

Ali

Rollins

Ali

Castlin

Rollins

Castlin

Javelin

Kolak’s Throw Dethrones a Two-Time Olympic Champion

Here is one of Sara Kolak’s four throws in the javelin. A Croat, Kolak won gold with a distance of 66.18 meters (217 feet). Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic, who had won gold in Beijing and London, got the bronze.

Photographs by Sergio Peçanha. Composite image by Derek Watkins.