Lionel Messi, Rafael Nadal and Lewis Hamilton: 52 of the best sports images of 2020

We pick out some stunning pictures from the last 12 months in which the sporting calendar has been ravaged by the coronavirus

It will be a year forever remembered for the coronavirus and how the world was thrown into turmoil as the pandemic wreaked havoc across the globe.

The sporting calendar ground to a an almost complete halt in March as lockdown conditions kicked in and the pause button was pressed on major competitions and tournaments.

When, months later, restrictions were lifted and play was resumed there would be a new norm as games were played in front of empty stadiums while "bio-bubbles" became part of everyday sporting parlance.

In these uncertain times, some very familiar faces would triumph: Lewis Hamilton secured a seventh Formula One world title, Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 13th French Open and Bayern Munich sealed a sixth European Cup after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

As the New Year fast approaches, we take a look back at the action and pick out some of the most memorable images from the last 52 weeks in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next picture click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.