Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Japan swim queen Ikee returns to racing

Japan swim queen Ikee returns to racing

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee has registered for a competition this month, her first since her leukaemia diagnosis last year. AFP

Japan swim queen Ikee returns to racing

Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee has registered for a competition in Tokyo this month, her first since her shock diagnosis with leukaemia last year, local media reported on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old was a strong favourite for 100-metre butterfly gold at her home Olympic Games before revealing last year that she had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

She was discharged from hospital in December after being hospitalised for about 10 months and resumed training in March.

Public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News said on Tuesday that Ikee has registered for a 50-metre freestyle race organised by the Tokyo Swimming Association on August 29.

A spokesman for the association declined to comment, saying only that registration for the event was still open.

Ikee has documented her fight against the disease online, thanking her legions of fans for their support.

“It was a long and hard time,” she said last year in a handwritten message posted on her Twitter account.

Ikee was also considered a contender for the Tokyo 2020 200m freestyle, but her diagnosis forced her to switch her focus to competing in the 2024 Olympics.

She has not said if she plans to rethink and compete in Tokyo next year, following the postponement of the Games because of the coronavirus.

She served as the key figure at a subdued year-to-go ceremony for the postponed Games last month, urging disheartened athletes not to lose faith.

“Think of the coming year not simply as a one-year postponement, but a plus-one,” she said.

“To overcome adversity, what we need is hope, a flame of hope of glowing in the distance allows us to keep trying, to keep moving forward, no matter how hard it is.”

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry taking steps over Thai ‘replica’ of Angkor Wat

    The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has dispatched experts to inspect the ongoing construction of a temple in Wat Phu Man Fah, located in Thailand’s Buriram province. This temple appears to be a replica of Cambodia’s renowned Angkor Wat. The ministry said

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • PM to open new Siem Reap int’l airport December 1

    Prime Minister Hun Manet and Chinese leaders would jointly participate in the official opening of the new Chinese-invested Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport on December 1. The airport symbolises a new page in the history of Cambodian aviation, which will be able to welcome long-distance flights to

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • Minimum wage set at $204, after Sep 28 vote

    The minimum wage for factory workers in the garment, footwear and travel goods industries for 2024 has been decided at $204 per month, with the government contributing $2. Following several negotiation sessions, the tripartite talks reached an agreement during a September 28 vote, with 46 of 51 votes supporting the $202 figure.

  • Thavisin touches down in Phnom Penh for first official visit to an ASEAN member state

    Thailand's newly appointed prime minister Srettha Thavisin has arrived in Cambodia for a one-day visit. The trip marks his first visit to an ASEAN country since taking office and aims to enhance bilateral trade and investment. According to the agenda, Thavisin is scheduled to hold