Yahoo Sports Japanese swim star Rikako Ikee diagnosed with leukemia, 2020 Olympics in doubt
Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee, the 18-year-old who is already an early favorite to medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, has been diagnosed with leukemia.
Ikee announced the news via Twitter on Monday, saying that she’s in a state of confusion over the diagnosis, but that the disease can be cured if treated properly. Via the Japan Times:
“I will rest a little and dedicate myself to treatment,” she said. “I will strive to show you an even stronger version of myself. Thank you for your encouragement and warm thoughts.”
A representative from one of her sponsors told the Japan Times that Ikee’s already in the hospital and receiving treatment. She will miss the upcoming national championships in Japan to continue her treatment.
Ikee is poised to break out at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She wowed the world at the 18th Asian Games in August when she became the first swimmer to win six gold medals in a single games. She won the Most Valuable Player award for the entire games, the first woman to ever win that award. She holds national records in the freestyle at three distances (50, 100, 200) and in the butterfly at two distances (50 and 100). She’s already come close to breaking the world record in the 100 butterfly.
Swimming is what led to the discovery of Ikee’s leukemia. Her coach, Jiro Miki, watched her struggle while she trained in Australia several weeks ago, breathing heavily and looking fatigued. They took her to a local hospital for tests, and once the initial results came back, she immediately went home to Japan for further treatment.
Koji Ueno, vice chairman of the Japan Swimming Federation, told the Japan Times that, “We wouldn’t have been able to discover the disease in ordinary circumstances.” Because she was swimming, they were able to identify the symptom of fatigue early and get her tested, which led to the discovery of the disease.
It’s not known how long Ikee will ultimately be away from training and competition. The Tokyo Summer Games begin in 18 months, and though reports indicate that the disease has been found in the early stages, treatment and recovery can be lengthy. Miki told the Japan Times that Ikee isn’t ruling out competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but she’s not likely to get any assistance from the Japan Swimming Federation. Ueno said that the Federation isn’t currently considering any special qualifying exemptions for her.
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