Switzerland's Roger Federer holds his trophy aloft after defeating Croatia's Marin Cilic during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
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From scorching tennis courts in a summer Down Under, to the ice and snow of Pyeongchang, the surf and sand of Australia's Gold Coast and the humid, hectic heart of Jakarta, a rich diversity of Asia's venues have been showcased for a global sporting audience in 2018.
Roger Federer started the year by winning an unprecedented 20th Grand Slam singles tennis title at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where Caroline Wozniacki won her first major title in what really was a great day for the Dane.
International sporting attention quickly shifted to Winter Olympics, where a shirtless Tongan cross-country skier stole the show at the opening ceremonies. But it was a thawing of tension between the Koreas, highlighted by an historic joint team in the women's ice hockey, that largely took some focus off the high-profile figure skating and Alpine skiing in the games that were hosted by South Korea.
The Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games were the two major, multi-sports showpieces of the year and were held on either side of the soccer World Cup in Russia.
Athletes from as far afield as Antigua and Zambia competed in April on the Gold Coast at the Commonwealth Games, featuring a collection of countries and territories that comprised the old British Empire. The Aussies regained top spot on the medals table from England, and India moved into third.
Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia co-hosted the Asian Games, the regional Olympic-style event that gathers 10,000 athletes from across the continent every four years. China finished atop the standings in August, but Japan narrowed the gap and achieved a significant goal in the process: preparing young athletes for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
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Pita Taufatofua carries the flag of Tonga during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki celebrates after defeating Romania's Simona Halep during the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
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Phillippines' Eumir Felix Marcial, red, and Uzbekistan's Israil Madrimov fight in their men's middleweight boxing semifinal at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Pakistan's Muhammad Nooh Butt compete at the men's +105kg weightlifting at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik of North Korea perform in the pair figure skating short program in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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The mouthpiece of China's Mengmeng Gao, right, flies out during her fight with Japan's Ayumi Uekusa during their women's 68kg kumite karate at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018. Uekusa won the gold. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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Canada's Jessica Frotten crashes during the women's T54 1500m final at Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Lao's Kantana Nanthisen, left, kicks a ball against Thailand's Anuwat Chaichana during men's sepak takraw team doubles final match at the 18th Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
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In this April 9, 2018 photo, New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard reacts after failing to make a lift in the snatch of the women's +90kg weightlifting final at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
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Iran's team, in red, react after defeating India's during at the women's team Kabaddi gold medal match at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018. Iran won gold.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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Malaysia's Nur Dhabitah Sabri competes during the women's 1m springboard diving at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A swimmer adjusts his swim cap during a training session at the18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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Spain's Rafael Nadal is silhouetted as he makes a backhand to Argentina's Leonardo Mayer during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
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Farrell Treacy of Great Britain crashes during the men's 1500 meters in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Jonatan Christie of Indonesia celebrates after defeating Kenta Nishimoto of Japan during their men's single semifinals badminton match at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
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Hungary's Marton Fucsovics prepares to serve to Switzerland's Roger Federer during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
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Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki is taken for a ride on a punt with her Australian Open trophy, the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Wozniacki defeated Romania's Simona Halep 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in Saturday's final.(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
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Alla Tsuper, of Belarus, crashes during the women's freestyle aerial final at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States fall during the ice dance, free dance figure skating final in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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Jessica Diggins, left, of the United States, celebrates after winning the gold medal past Stina Nilsson, of Sweden, in the during women's team sprint freestyle cross-country skiing final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
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Natalia Kaliszek and Maksym Spodyriev of Poland perform during the ice dance, short dance figure skating in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
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In this April 5, 2018 photo, Australia's Mitchell Morgans falls of the high bar as he competes at the men's artistic gymnastics competition at Coomera Indoor Stadium during the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)
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Malaysia's Jun Hoong Cheong and Pandelela Rinong Pamg dives on their way to winning gold in the women's synchronised 10m platform final at the Aquatic Centre during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
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Tilen Bartol, of Slovenia, soars through the air during qualification for the men's large hill individual ski jumping competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
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