One Extraordinary Photo: Framed in motion

By: Francisco Seco, The Associated Press Posted: 9:20 AM CST Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026

MILAN (AP) — Francisco Seco is a chief photographer for The Associated Press based in Istanbul. These are his fourth Olympics after Japan, China, and France.

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MILAN (AP) — Francisco Seco is a chief photographer for The Associated Press based in Istanbul. These are his fourth Olympics after Japan, China, and France.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/02/2026 (203 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MILAN (AP) — Francisco Seco is a chief photographer for The Associated Press based in Istanbul. These are his fourth Olympics after Japan, China, and France.

Why this photo?

Because everything is in the right place. This particular move is called the “death spiral,” and every photographer’s goal is to freeze the female athlete’s face in an upside-down position really close to her male partner’s skate blades. This is the first time I managed to show her face positioned between her partner’s legs while they were spinning in a very fast movement.

Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel of Germany compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

How I made this photo

I was at ice level using a 400mm lens and a high-speed shutter (1/2000). I always bring a minimum of three cameras with different lenses so when I saw this pair was going to perform the “death spiral” move I switched from a 300mm lens to a 400mm to get a closer shot. Our camera’s focus system is super fast and it helped me catch the woman’s face in focus as they were moving very quickly.

Why this photo works

As I said before I think everything is in the right place. The photo catches your attention because it’s a ‘rare’ situation. It’s a nice compositional photograph. The combination of the upside-down face near the skate blades and the scratched ice background makes you ask yourself, “What’s going on there?”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics