The Japan Times newsroom selected the following sports stories as the most important of 2018.

1. Prizes in Pyeongchang: Japan celebrated its best-ever showing at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in February. Yuzuru Hanyu defended his men¡¯s figure skating crown, Nao Kodaira set a new Olympic record in women¡¯s speedskating and the women¡¯s curling team captured the delight of the nation on the way to its bronze finish.

2. Two-way star: Shohei Ohtani excelled in his debut season with the Los Angeles Angels as both a hitter and pitcher despite an arm injury that would force him to undergo surgery in October. The 24-year-old became the first major leaguer since Babe Ruth to make 10 starts on the mound and hit 20 home runs in a season.

3. On the rise: Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title with a stunning victory over Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final. The title cemented the Haitian-Japanese phenomenon¡¯s place in the cultural zeitgeist, and the endorsements that poured in after her victory didn¡¯t hurt either.

4. Calling foul: Nihon University defensive end Taisuke Miyagawa¡¯s tackle of Kwansei Gakuin University quarterback Kosei Okuno provoked national soul-searching after Miyagawa accused his coaches of ordering the illegal hit. Nihon University¡¯s team was suspended for the season while coach Masato Uchida was banned from the sport.

5. Abuse of power: Governance problems plaguing Japan¡¯s top sports bodies became a national conversation as a result of several power harassment-related scandals. Four-time Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kaori Icho was among the athletes affected, and domestic boxing was rocked by numerous allegations.

6. Blue steel: Veteran players helped the Samurai Blue rally under replacement boss Akira Nishino to defy low expectations and reach the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Japan took a 2-0 lead against heavily favored Belgium in the Round of 16 before surrendering the 3-2 game-winner in the closing seconds.

7. Two-times lucky: The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks claimed a second straight Japan Series, defeating the Hiroshima Carp 4-1 after the first game ended in a tie. Hawks catcher Takuya Kai was named MVP after thwarting six stolen base attempts, helping to stifle the Central League¡¯s most explosive offense.

8. Ongoing issues in the ring: Sumo was again beset by scandals outside of the ring this year, including former yokozuna Takanohana¡¯s early retirement due to a 2017 incident that involved an assault on a junior wrestler, as well as yokozuna Kisenosato¡¯s continuing struggle with injuries.

9. Master stroke: Swimmer Rikako Ikee was the talk of this year¡¯s Asian Games after finishing with six gold medals and becoming the games¡¯ first female MVP. Japan finished the event with 205 total medals (75 gold, 56 silver, 74 bronze), good for second on the table behind China.

10. Play of a century: Every Summer Koshien has a Cinderella story and the 100th anniversary of the tournament was no exception with Akita Prefecture¡¯s Kanaashi Nogyo defying the odds to reach the final for the first time. Even a 13-2 defeat to Osaka Toin failed to put a damper on celebrations.