By Retta Race on SwimSwam
With the turning of the calendar page to February 2024, Japanese Olympian Rikako Ikee recognized the 5th anniversary of receiving her leukemia diagnosis.
After spending most of 2019 in a hospital undergoing grueling treatments, the first woman ever to be named Asian Games MVP persevered, committed to a comeback and pushed herself both in and out of the water in pursuit of returning to form.
The now-23-year-old, who was at the top of her game at the time her illness was discovered, has made major strides since exiting the hospital at the end of 2019.
Ikee made her nation’s Olympic team for the Tokyo Games, racing in the women’s 4x100m free relay and 8th-placed women’s 4x100m medley relay.
Flash forward to May of 2023 and Ikee made her first international podium since returning to racing. She snagged the bronze in the 50m fly while competing at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour.
Just months later, Ikee placed 7th in the same event at last year’s World Championships to commemorate her first post-comeback podium-worthy swim.
Ikee will not be racing this week in Doha, as Japan is sending a slight 12-person roster for this Olympic year’s World Championships.
Currently still based in Australia under Michael Bohl, Ikee said via social media this week that, if her health remains intact, she can officially state at the end of the year that she is in remission.
Ikee will return to Japan in time for the nation’s Olympic Trials which are taking place in March, one month earlier than usual.
SwimSwam: Rikako Ikee Recognizes 5-Year Anniversary Of Leukemia Diagnosis
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