Year in Review: The six biggest sports stories of 2022
Jack Birle
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The year 2022 was busy in the sports world, with a Winter Olympics, a World Cup, and some notable retirements (and unretirements).
While there were several major sports stories this year, here are a few of the biggest stories that grabbed headlines.
WORLD CUP 2022: LIONEL MESSI AND ARGENTINA WIN FINAL IN DRAMATIC PENALTY SHOOTOUT AFTER WILD 3-3 TIE
Georgia overcomes Alabama in CFP National Championship
The University of Georgia kicked off the sports year by defeating the University of Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship. The win marked the Bulldogs’ first over the Crimson Tide since 2007 and their first national championship since 1980.
The game started slow, with only field goals in the first half, but it reached its peak when Georgia scored 20 unanswered points to finish the 33-18 victory.
Super Bowl: A perfect Hollywood ending for the Rams
In a script not even Hollywood could have written, longtime Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ventured west to the Los Angeles Rams before the 2021-22 NFL season and helped lead the team to its second Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
The Rams defeated the upstart Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a game that came down to last-second heroics by Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Stafford’s touchdown pass to Kupp with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter gave the Rams the lead.
Kupp, the Super Bowl MVP, scored two touchdowns in the game, which capped off a special season that included a First Team All-Pro selection and winning NFL offensive player of the year.
2022 Winter Olympics: Scandal, heartbreak, and triumph
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, was not without controversy, especially for the host country’s human rights record. The sporting events themselves were memorable for their highs and lows.
The women’s figure skating events became riddled with scandal after Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was found to have tested positive for a banned substance in December 2021. She had already competed in the team event, helping the Russian Olympic Committee win gold, but would be allowed to compete provisionally in the women’s competition. Despite being under intense pressure and scrutiny, Valieva entered the free skate in first place, but she fell multiple times in her free skate and finished in fourth place. The harsh treatment of Valieva by Russian coaches after the disastrous performance was condemned by several commentators.
The Winter Games also saw heartbreak in the form of U.S. Alpine Skier Mikaela Shiffrin, widely considered one of the best in the sport, missing a gate in three of her races, disqualifying her from those events, and failing to medal in any of her other three races.
Ultimately, the Beijing Olympics also saw many triumphs including American figure skater Nathan Chen winning gold in the men’s event and Chloe Kim winning her second consecutive gold medal in the women’s snowboard halfpipe.
Tom Brady retires, then unretires
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced on Feb. 1 he was retiring from the NFL after 22 years in the league.
The retirement ended a career that began in 2000 when he was drafted 199th overall to the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowls with the franchise from 2002-2019. Brady then played for the Buccaneers in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, winning Super Bowl LV with the team.
The retirement, however, did not last long. On March 13, Brady announced he was unretiring and would be rejoining the Buccaneers for the 2022 season. The stunning reversal by the future Hall of Famer meant his retirement only lasted 40 days.
Serena Williams retires
Tennis legend Serena Williams played her final match in her storied career in 2022 at the U.S. Open in September.
Williams ended her career after a third-round defeat in the tournament, with an emotional message for her sister, fellow tennis player Venus Williams.
“These are happy tears, I guess. I don’t know,” Williams said in a post-match interview. “And I wouldn’t be Serena if it wasn’t Venus. Thank you, Venus.”
Williams won 23 Grand Slams during her illustrious career, with her most recent one being at the Australian Open in 2017.
World Cup: Messi and Argentina win spectacular final
The 2022 FIFA World Cup took soccer’s biggest tournament to the Middle East for the first time and was played in the fall for the first time. Despite controversy off the pitch with host country Qatar’s human rights record, the matches gave way to one of the most exciting World Cups in recent history.
The U.S. showed promise for the future despite losing to the Netherlands in the round of 16. It was the first World Cup for the U.S. since 2014, after the team failed to qualify for the tournament in 2018.
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After nearly a month of play, it was down to Argentina and France in the final. The game was an all-time classic with soccer great Lionel Messi leading the South American country to its first championship since 1986. The final was also notable for France’s Kylian Mbappe scoring three goals, achieving the first hat trick in a World Cup final since the U.S.’s Carli Lloyd in the 2015 women’s World Cup final.
In the coming year, sports fans can look forward to the regular slate of sports championships in addition to less frequent events, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup being held in June in Australia and New Zealand.