The Japan Times editors selected these domestic sports stories as the most important of 2014.
1.Yuzuru Hanyu golden for Japan in Sochi: The Japanese delegation wins eight medals during the 2014 Winter Olympic in Sochi, Russia, none bigger than Yuzuru Hanyu's gold in men's figure skating, which made him the first Japanese man to become Olympic champion in that discipline. The 2014 Games also saw teenage ski jumper Sara Takanashi leave without a medal after entering the Olympics as the undisputed favorite to win gold. Figure skating star Mao Asada met disappointment in Sochi as well, slumping to a shocking 16th-place finish in the ladies' short program before rallying to finish sixth overall.
Kei Nishikori plays a shot during his U.S. Open final match against Marin Cilic in September. | REUTERS2.Nishikori steps into the spotlight: Kei Nishikori enjoys a breakout season on the ATP tour, beating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals and climbing to a career-best fifth in the world rankings. He became the first Asian man to compete in a Grand Slam final, falling to Marin Cilic in the U.S. Open title match.
Tough times: Shinji Kagawa (right, 10) falls to the ground during Japan’s 4-1 loss to Colombia at the World Cup in June; Javier Aguirre was appointed national team manager in July and has since been named in a match-fixing scandal. | AP3.Brazil bust: Japan crashes out in the first round of the World Cup in Brazil. Japan had been tipped to make an impact at the tournament but managed only one point from a scoreless draw with Greece, while losing to Cote d'Ivoire and Colombia. Javier Aguirre replaced Alberto Zaccheroni as manager after the competition but was then named in a match-fixing scandal in Spain.
This image can no longer be displayed4.Sustained excellence: Yokozuna Hakuho claims four consecutive titles to close out the year, and ties legendary Taiho's all-time record of 32 tournament victories by claiming the Emperor's Cup at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
This image can no longer be displayed5.Hawks rise to the top: The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks defeat the Hanshin Tigers in five games to capture the Japan Series title. Seiichi Uchikawa earned the Japan Series MVP, and Hawks manager Koji Akiyama stepped down after leading the franchise to its sixth title.
This image can no longer be displayed6.Racism rears its ugly head: The J. League punishes Urawa Reds for a "Japanese only" sign displayed by fans at Saitama Stadium. Urawa is forced to play a match against Shimizu S-Pulse in an empty stadium, the first time the J. League has ordered a match to be played behind closed doors.
This image can no longer be displayed7.Basketball in crisis: FIBA suspends the Japan Basketball Association from all international activities for its failure to meet an Oct. 31 deadline to submit a merger plan for the bj-league and NBL. FIBA has outlined a plan to set up a task force to overhaul the JBA next year and force a merger.
This image can no longer be displayed8.Hagino dominates at Asian Games: Kosuke Hagino confirms his status as one of the world's elite swimmers. The 20-year-old collected four gold medals, one silver and two bronze at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Also at the Asian Games, breaststroke swimmer Naoya Tomita was arrested for stealing a camera belonging to a Korean journalist. The Japan Swimming Federation handed him a 1½-year suspension.
Nobody does it better: Legendary gymnast Kohei Uchimura performs at the world championships in October in Nanning, China. | AFP-JIJI9.Uchimura's world dominance: Kohei Uchimura, considered by many to be the greatest gymnast of all time, wins the men's all-around title for an unprecedented fifth straight time in Nanning, China. Uchimura edged Great Britain's Max Whitlock by 1.492 points.
This image can no longer be displayed10.Brave Blossoms surge ahead: The Japan rugby team ascends to its highest spot, No. 9, in the International Rugby Board world rankings in November. The Brave Blossoms' run of 11 straight test match victories ended that month in a 35-24 defeat to Georgia. Japan, which will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was awarded a Super Rugby franchise from 2016.
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