Paris 2024 Olympic Games. After overcoming leukemia, a Japanese swimmer qualifies for the next Games

Ikee Rikako qualified for the Olympics as an individual, three years after missing those in Tokyo. MAXPPP

After surviving leukemia, Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee qualified for the 100m butterfly at the Paris Olympic Games.

Swimmer Rikako Ikee, a leukemia survivor, will represent Japan in the 100m butterfly at the Paris Olympics after missing out on an individual berth at the Tokyo Games three years ago .

In 2018, Rikako Ikee made history at the age of 18 by winning six gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta, becoming the first woman to be named Best Athlete (MVP) in this competition.< /p>

A few months later, she announced that she had leukemia and had spent around 10 months hospitalized. She only returned to competition in August 2020, winning the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly during qualifying at the Tokyo Olympics.< /p>

A second qualifying place

Her times were not fast enough to qualify for the individual events in Tokyo, but her performances allowed her to be selected for the freestyle and medley relay events.

Now aged 23, Ikee secured her place in the 100m butterfly, by 0.01 seconds, during the Japanese selections earlier this month, holding her own to Matsumoto Shiho to finish second in 57.34 seconds.

The race was won in an impressive time of 56.91 seconds by 17-year-old Haiari Mazuki, one of many young Japanese talents.

Three-time world champion Daiya Seto will swim the men's individual medley, as part of the 27-member Japanese team selected for the Paris Games, the composition of which was announced by the Japanese Federation swimming Wednesday.