SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR 2018

Simone Biles, four-time Olympic champion, continued her record setting ways at the 2018 World Championships by winning her fourth career world championship with a record-setting margin of victory, almost 2 full points, since the open-ended scoring system was put into place.

Biles 13 overall World Championship gold medals are the most by any gymnast, male or female, and she became the first female gymnast to win four all-around world titles.

Biles won six medals in total at the 2018 competition, bringing her total haul to 20, which ties her with Svetlana Khorkina of Russia for the most total medals by a female gymnast.

Watch Simone Biles favorite event, floor exercise, at the 2018 World Championship in Qatar here.

#1 In sports, being the best is what dreams are made of and for some those dreams become reality.  For Marit Bjoren from Norway it means becoming the most decorated athlete in the history of the Winter Olympic Games.  Bjoren won 5 cross-country medals in Korea, bringing her total count to 15 cross-country Olympic medals.

#2 Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese man or woman to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament. As a girl, Osaka dreamed of playing Serena at the US Open.  What happened during the match and afterwards at the trophy ceremony demonstrate that at times fact can be stranger than fiction.  At age 20, Osaka handled the US Open Final controversy with grace and humbleness after defeating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4.  Watch the US Open Ceremony here.

#3 Keeping the pressure on USA Gymnastics.  While Larry Nassar was sentenced on January 24, 2018, the gymnasts and their supporters have kept the pressure on for broader reforms and accountability within gymnastics and the broader Olympic and National Competition arena.  In January 2018, USA Gymnastics' entire Board of Directors resigned, President and CEO Kerry Perry resigned in September, followed by Interim CEO and President Mary Bono resigning in October.  In November, the USOC announced that it was starting the process to decertify USAG as the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. And in December, USAG announced it was filing bankruptcy as the lawsuits continue to mount and distribution of insurance money needs to be decided.  The athletes will continue to be the voice for generations to come.  A key message is ensure discussions between parents and guardians and their children go beyond "Stranger Danger" and also address that those individuals known to the family must protect the child and that any feelings of uncomfortableness should be address with safe parents and guardians.  Watch Aly Raisman's speech at Nassar's sentencing.

#4 Amidst challenging conditions consisting of heavy rain, wind gusts of more than 25 miles per hour, and some of the coldest temperatures in 30 years, Desiree "Desi" Linden, 34 and two-time Olympian, won the 122nd Boston Marathon and became the first American woman to win the women's race since Lisa Larsen Weidenback did so in 1985 after pulling away from a competitive field.  Watch her winning moment here.

#5 Two NFL cheerleaders, one with the Miami Dolphins, the other with the New Orleans Saints, who are represented by a Florida employment attorney, are seeking arbitration and a 4-hour meeting with Roger Goodell as well as $1 in compensation over being fired. In Kristan Ware's case, it's allegedly for speaking publicly about her decision to not have sex before marriage.  For Bailey Davis, and the Saints, it's over her decision to post a photo of herself in a one-piece swimsuit on her Instagram page.

Beyond these two specific examples, the broader issues include a lack of clarity regarding what is the role of the cheerleaders and dancers in today's #MeToo environment, as well as workplace policies, compensation, and how cheerleaders and dancers are treated by NFL teams.

The pervasive opinion by teams is that there is an endless supply of women who want to be cheerleaders coupled with the #MeToo movement realities should lead the Commissioner to lead league-wide actions to address the role of and working conditions for cheerleading and dancing athletes.  Hear from the claimants to learn more about their position.

#6 What must it feel like to be on top of not just one, but two Winter Olympic sports?  Ester Ledecka became the first woman to ever win gold medals using two different types of equipment, a snowboard and skis, at a single Winter Olympic.  Ledecka is also the first woman to win gold in two separate disciplines at the same Winter Olympic Games.  Anfisa Reztsova previously won gold in two separate disciplines at different Olympics.  Watch her parallel giant slalom win here.

#7 Coming back in 2018 after a 14-month maternity leave and playing in three majors and reaching two grand slam finals would be a great year for most professional tennis players, but not for Serena Williams.  What lands Serena in another REAL SPORTS Most Important Moments in Sports review are the controversies that embroiled her year.  The first, the controversy at the French Open over her catsuit, in part for medical reasons, was followed up with a claim by the umpire of coaching from her box at the US Open. It was the later which sent Serena over the edge.  For any competitor who has put everything into their chosen profession, a claim at the core of their values can be enough to set one off.  Watch the post match interview here.

#8 Youth has its advantages. Chloe Kim, at age 17, became the youngest ever female Olympic gold medalist on snow when she won the Halfpipe. Kim's exposure and experience at competitions leading up to the PyeongChang games included being a four-time X Games gold medalist and the first woman to win two gold medals in snowboarding at the Youth Olympic Games. Watch her gold medal performance here.

  

#9 Becky Hammon, already a trailblazer as the NBA's first female assistant coach, sets out upon another trail when she was asked to interview for the Milwaukee Buck's head coaching position, after previously being interviewed about their GM role.  No Rooney rule in effect, rather recognition of one's abilities.  Click to learn more about the news announcement.

It's also worth noting that Washington Mystics All-Star guard Kristi Toliver is now an assistant coach/player development for the Washington Wizards and Sue Bird is now working with the Denver Nuggets front office as their Basketball Operations Associate.  As was the case many times, Nancy Lieberman created a path when in November 2009, Lieberman became the coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League an affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, where she became the first woman to coach a professional men's basketball team.

#10 Most Important Moment in Women's Sports 2018

Since our founding in 1997, REAL SPORTS, The Authority in Women's Sports, provides authentic coverage of the diverse world of women's sports. Join us as we make our selections of the Top Moments in Sports for 2018 and name our Sportsperson of the Year.  We welcome our readers engagement and encourage you to share your thoughts regarding our selections as well as your most memorable moments.

#10 There's a sure fire way to capture the imagination of a crowd, nation, and worldwide viewership while also earning the respect of your peers.  


At the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Mirai Nagasu became the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics.  She became the third woman in the history of the Winter games to do so.  Click to watch the athletic accomplishment.