VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Abby Parr is an Associated Press photographer based in Minneapolis. This will be her third time covering the World Cup. Parr has also covered four Olympic Games and other international sporting events during his career.
why this photo
Even though Thursday’s matchup between Canada and Qatar was historic for the Canadians, with the Canadians scoring six goals and earning their first World Cup victory, Ismael Cohn’s injury was a hot topic of discussion. My job as a sports photographer is to cover all elements of a match, but back then the winning goal wasn’t the most talked about thing after the final whistle. Outside of sports, I often have to cover heartbreaking moments that show the true emotion and grit that players bring to the field, and this was one of those moments.
How this photo was made
As soon as I saw Kone’s reaction after the crash, I knew he was seriously injured and kept my focus on him. This was an incredibly tough moment to cover given the extent of Kone’s injuries and the pain in his face, but I kept my camera on him with a 400mm lens until he was stretchered off the field.
Why this photo works
This photo works because of the emotion on Cohn’s face and the severity of his injuries shown in the frame. This was a difficult moment and something that as a sports photographer I would never want to report on. It was very uplifting to see Team Canada players come together after the game and show so much support for their teammates.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
