It was a heated battle in the first week of the 2011 Photo of the Year voting, between Paula Findlay’s graceful water bottle throwing and Javier Gomez’s inspired reaction as he nears the finish line.  Both went on to win in Sydney but in this race, only one can claim victory.  And in this contest, it was Gomez who just edged out Findlay by just 1.18% of the votes!

The Findlay photo was in the lead early in the week but as voting continued, many just couldn’t ignore the emotion of Gomez’s victory in Sydney.  The discussion moved to twitter where the stars of the photos themselves cast their votes.
@PaulaFindlay: Vote for picture 3! The only chance I’ll ever have to beat @Jgomeznoya at something! ;)
@heljinx: sorry Paula I voted for @Jgomeznoya Although your water throwing is very elegant!
@Jgomeznoya Yes! Thanks for ur vote Helen! @PaulaFindlay I voted yours, that’s what ITU mean when they say discard water bottles off the course!
@PaulaFindlay: @Jgomeznoya you didn’t even vote for yourself?! Okay now I feel bad, you can win.

While the water bottle throwing was unique and not an image often captured, what ended up winning was a photo that summed up one of the year’s great performances – the Gomez comeback in Sydney.  After crashing on the bike, the 2-time World Champion got back up, rode the final 10km solo and then out-ran the entire field to snatch victory.  As he approached the finish line, Gomez’s reaction tells you how much the win meant and how hard he worked to achieve it.

“When I crossed the finish line, it was a great feeling,” reflected Gomez.  “When you win with such hard work, it always tastes better than other wins.”

So with the fans choice decided, we hear from the man behind the lens. Over the past 20 years, Delly Carr’s stunning imagery has made him one of the best in the business. With numerous national and international accolades, Delly’s work continues to develop and reach new levels. Here’s his choice and why:

Camera: Nikon D3S
Exposure: 1/2000 sec, F2.8
ISO: 1600

Did you agree? Let us know your thoughts below.  Check back on triathlon.org next week when we unveil the finalists for the Madrid WCS and you can have your say again.

See all the nominees here