Photo of Hawaii Athlete Among Top Picks

The end of the year invariably brings with it a long list of long lists, as everyone puts together “best of” roundups that look back over the highlights of the past twelve months. Some are more interesting than others, and Reuters’ “Pictures of the Year” definitely fall on the interesting end of the spectrum.

This year’s set, like every past set, includes a globe-spanning and dazzling array of images ranging from the whimsical to the tragic. A Bosnian funeral. A Peruvian mummy. The Bridezilla Ultimate Cake Eating Contest.

But mixed among far-flung places and faces is a local athlete: Catherine Nichols of Honolulu, captured mid-stroke in the Pacific Ocean as she trains for the Ironman triathlon. The photo was taken by Hugh Gentry, a Hawaii-based “award winning cinematographer and photojournalist.”