Cancer victim Ikee revels in her first victory

TOKYO • Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee made her sporting comeback in Tokyo yesterday, competing for the first time since a shock leukaemia diagnosis last year.

The 20-year-old had been a strong favourite for the 100m butterfly gold at the now-postponed Olympic Games before revealing she had cancer.

She was discharged from hospital in December after around 10 months of treatment and resumed training in March.

"The fact that I'm swimming and I'm here again... I'm moved," she told reporters after winning the 50m freestyle race, which was organised by the Tokyo Swimming Association, in 26.32sec.

"My goal was to enjoy it without thinking too much and I really could."

Ikee is now eligible to participate in Japan's Inter College Swimming Championships in October - a goal she has set for herself.

"I was nervous but I was able to beat the time I was aiming for," she added.

Ikee had also been seen as a contender for the 200m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Games but, after her diagnosis, she switched her focus to competing in the 2024 edition in Paris.

She has not yet said if she plans to rethink and compete in Tokyo next July.

Earlier this week, the six-gold medal winner at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia posted two videos showing her training ahead of yesterday's race, prompting tens of thousands of likes and retweets.

"I can do 10 chin-ups now... I couldn't do any a couple of months ago," she wrote alongside one of the clips, which has been viewed more than 2.3 million times.

Ikee has gained plenty of admirers after documenting her experience with leukaemia on social media, and also served as the key figure at a subdued year-to-go ceremony for the postponed Games last month.

She then urged disheartened athletes not to lose faith because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying "to overcome adversity, what we need is hope".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE