A look back at the best photos from the year in sports

2016 was a beast of a year.

With all that went on in news and politics around the world, it was nice to be able to sit back, relax and watch some sports every once in a while.

... Sorry, did we say 'relax'? We meant scream and jump and cry and pull your hair out and not relax even a little bit at all.

Let's take a quick look back at the year's most momentous sporting events: Michael Phelps added to his already ridiculous medal collection. LeBron finally brought a championship to Cleveland. Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl, and promptly retired. Usain Bolt smiled while blowing his competition away. Oh, and one other tiny thing -- the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series.

Those moments (and then some) made the history books, but there are plenty of other snapshots from 2016 that we'll remember fondly.

From the most awkward slides and amazing catches to flips, dunks, celebrations and touchdowns, take a look back at the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring photos from the year in sports:

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2016 in photos: 20 moments that will go down in history