Figure skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu's retirement from competition in July was a shock to the system for sports fans around the globe.
Hanyu wasn't was not the only great to walk away in 2022, as tennis legends Serena Williams and Rodger Federer were both given joyous and tearful sendoffs befitting their stature in the game.
There were plenty of highs and thrilling moments on the field of play, too, such as the Chiba Lotte Marines' Roki Sasaki throwing a perfect game in April, Japan's giant-killing run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which ended in the last 16 in December, and everything in between.