Big Shots for March 24, 2009

A jumbo Big Shots to enjoy this week as we take in the Tokyo Marathon, travel to Perth, Australia for the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, and visit Koyuk, Alaska to check in on the Iditarod. But where are all those great pictures from the opening rounds of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament? We're saving them for a special March Madness Big Shots we'll get to you after the champion is crowned. ( 41 photos total)

Galatasaray fans light torches during the UEFA Cup soccer match against Hamburger SV at Ali Sami Yen stadium in Istanbul, Turkey March 19. (AP Photo/Murad Sezer)

Liverpool's Jose Reina celebrates after Dirk Kuyt scores against Aston Villa during their English Premier League football match at Anfield in Liverpool, England March 22. (PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Corinthians soccer fans cheer during a Sao Paulo state championship soccer game with Santos in Sao Paulo March 22. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) #

Nikolai Zherdev of the New York Rangers throws a puck into the crowd after defeating the Buffalo Sabres March 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) #

David Wright is congratulated by Kevin Youkilis, Derek Jeter, and Shane Victorino after a 6-5 win over Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic in Miami March 17. (AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan) #

Siegfried Grabner of Austria leads the parallel giant slalom race at the Snowboard World Cup Finals in Chiesa Valmalenco, Italy March 22. (REUTERS/Tony Gentile) #

Racers warm up in front of the Royal Castle before the finals of the FIS World Cup Cross Country Sprint in Stockholm March 18. (OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images) #

Liu Jiayu of China competes in the women's snowboard-half pipe World Cup Finals in Chiesa Valmalenco, Italy March 21. (REUTERS/Tony Gentile) #

American JT Holmes jumps during the men's freeride ski at the Xtreme Freeride on Bec des Rosses mountain in Verbier, Switzerland March 22. (AP Photo/Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott) #

India's cricket player Sachin Tendulkar poses atop the City Sky tower in Auckland March 13, 2009. Picture taken March 13, 2009. (REUTERS/Tourism New Zealand/Handout) #

Ashlea Gilfillan competes in the womens 3000 meter steeplechase at the Australian Athletics Championships & Selection Trials at the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre March 20 in Brisbane, Australia. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images) #

China's Wu Minxia competes in the women's 3m springboard diving final during the FINA Diving World Series 2009 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar March 22. (KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images) #

A women's surfboat crew paddles out at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Perth's Scarborough Beach March 18. (AP Photo/Australia Surf Life Saving/Harvie Allison) #

Rafael Nadal holds the championship trophy after defeating Andy Murray in the final of the Indian Wells ATP tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California March 22. (REUTERS/Michael Fiala) #

Ben Cathro performs on his mountain bike during the launch of the Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on Calton Hill March 23 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) #

The peloton passes through Campo Ligure, Italy during the Milan-San Remo cycling classic March 21. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati) #

Racers contest the first stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the opening round of the FIA Cross Country World Rally Cup, off Arjan desert, Abu Dhabi March 23. (REUTERS/Regi Varghese) #

NASCAR's Tony Stewart, sponsored by the US Army, shoots a rifle simulator as he sits in the driver's seat of a Humvee simulator during a visit to Fort Knox, Ky. March 19. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke) #

More than 30,000 runners start the Tokyo Marathon 2009 on March 22. (YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images) #

England Coach Martin Johnson waits for the Six Nations Rugby Union match against Scotland at Twickenham stadium in London March 21. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Los Angeles Clippers' Baron Davis argues a call versus the Washington Wizards during an NBA basketball game March 18 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis) #

Japan's Reiko Tosa grimaces while her husband and coach Keiichi Murai helps her after she finished third in the Tokyo Marathon 2009 March 22. (TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Japanese fans celebrate their team's win over Korea in the World Baseball Classic in San Diego March 19. (REUTERS/Danny Moloshok) #

Antonio Castro Soto, Cuba's team doctor and the son of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, keeps the ball on his eye before Cuba plays Mexico in the World Baseball Classic in San Diego March 16. (REUTERS/Danny Moloshok) #

Canadian musher Sebastian Schnuelle's lead dog Finn, left, rests with the team at the Koyuk, Alaska checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race March 16. (AP Photo/Al Grillo) #

A competitor starts the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Triathlon in Singapore March 22. (REUTERS/Tim Chong) #

Bernard Dunne celebrates his victory over Ricardo Cordoba after the WBA super-bantamweight title boxing bout at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland March 21. (AP Photo/PA/Julien Behal) #

Athletes rest after running up 920 steps of London's tallest building, Tower 42, in the UK's first ever charity tower running event March 19. (SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Cleveland Cavaliers' Zydrunas Ilgauskas falls on the Portland Trail Blazers' Joel Przybilla diving for a loose ball during their NBA basketball game in Cleveland March 19. (REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk) #

Newton-Harris' Desmin Williams is flattened by a Scott County Central player in the Missouri State High School Basketball Championships in Columbia, Mo. March 21. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson) #

South Africa's Ab de Villiers lies prone after being hit by a ball during a cricket test match against Australia in Cape Town March 22. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings) #

Stephen Ames locates his ball during the Transitions Championship golf tournament March 20 at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) #

Larry Pegram flies through the air after a collision in an AMA Pro Road Racing Superbike race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. March 21. Pegram was unhurt in the crash. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams) #

Mongolian sumo grand champion Asashoryu pulls Miyabiyama down during a bout of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka, Japan March 22. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) #

Pat Hurst reacts to a shot during the MasterCard Classic at the BosqueReal Country Club March 22 in Huixquiucan, Mexico. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images) #

Elephant polo players battle for the ball during an exhibition match in Chiang Rai province March 23. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images) #

Anthony Robles of Arizona State, left, wrestles Northwestern's Brandon Precin in the 125-pound weight class at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships March 20 in St. Louis. Robles beat Precin 9-0. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam) #

England vies with Scotland during their Six Nations Rugby Union match at Twickenham stadium March 21. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Audi Sport Team Joest's Tom Kristensen, driving an Audi R15 TD1, leads the 12 Hours of Sebring auto race at the Sebring International Raceway March 21 in Sebring, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius) #

Nic Johnson in the Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT drives during the 12 Hours of Sebring auto race at Sebring International Raceway March 21 in Sebring, Fla. (Doug Benc/Getty Images) #

Tom Kristensen drives through turn seven during the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway March 21 in Sebring, Fla. (Doug Benc/Getty Images) #

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Sweet stuff...IQ on #6 is superb.

Posted by Chris March 24, 09 03:34 PM

#37 ... does he not have a right leg? And if so, doesn't that give him an unfair advantage in the 125 pound class?

Posted by Monica March 24, 09 03:47 PM

Just phenomenal!

12, 13, 33, 38 to name just a few.

Posted by Jim March 24, 09 03:51 PM

Loving the passion in #21.

I didn't even know people played polo on elephants!

Instead of #38, I would rather have seen a picture of Ireland's first Grand Slam victory in the 6 nations since 1948 after a gripping finale vs. Wales. And I'm English.

Thank you thank you thank you!

Posted by Richard March 24, 09 07:10 PM

nice to see the rugby shots!

Posted by Mike March 24, 09 07:47 PM

You're right about #37. He does appear to have only one leg. Is that not cheating of a sort. Its like having a handicapped sticker and parking in a regular space.

Posted by Se�n March 25, 09 08:28 AM

For those bickering about the handicapped guy... if you know anything about wrestling, you will understand the kind of leverage an EXTRA LEG can afford you? Unfair advantage? you people are out of your minds.

Posted by Lacra March 25, 09 03:26 PM

@Monica.....reading your comments about the handicapped wrestler shows your lack of basic sporting knowledge....Dear how on earth does having only one leg in a sport, where brute strength along with balance and technique are so important, does it classify as having an advantage.

Posted by Akhil March 26, 09 02:11 AM

I never post anything on facebook, except for these pictures. they're great!!

Posted by adam assiraj March 26, 09 02:19 PM

Being an American, it was great to see these wonderful photos of sporting events from around the world. Elephant Polo? Excellent!!

Posted by Dick Lunden March 27, 09 09:04 AM

#37, to compete for the NCAA Div. 1 wrestling championship is quite an achievement. To do it on 1 leg is an awe inspiring accomplishment. My hat goes off to that young man.

Posted by Brandon March 29, 09 06:59 AM

Sports

Big Shots for March 24, 2009