01-07-2025
Interview with Rikako Ikee / Swimming Star Wants to Leave Pool Knowing She Did Her Best
In one of the most remarkable and inspiring stories in Japan sports history, swimming star Rikako Ikee battled back from leukemia to not only compete again, but qualify for the both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
The 24-year-old Tokyo native and Japan record-holder in five individual events made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, then made her first major splash in the sport at the 2018 Asian Games, where she became the first Japanese swimmer in history to win six gold medals. But in February the following year, she was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent a long, grueling recovery.
To the shock of the sports world, she returned to competition in August 2020, and made Japan's team to the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in the relays. She earned a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100-meter butterfly, but did not advance past the semifinals.
Later this month, Ikee will serve as captain of the Japan women's swimming team at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun Sports Writer Satoshi Morii, she talked about her prospects for a first ever world medal and her long-range goals regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The following are Yomiuri Shimbun: What do you think about the World Championships?
Rikako Ikee: Looking at my time in the 50-meter butterfly (25.41 seconds) at the Japan championships in March, I think I might have a chance for a first medal. It's just a matter of doing it. I have to keep building up year by year in the three years up to the Los Angeles Olympics. I think it also is important for me to enjoy swimming this year.
Yomiuri: What would a medal mean?
Ikee: Of course I want one, but fate has been against me. In 2019, I was in the mix for the No. 1 or 2 world ranking, but I became sick. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, I ended up just participating. I'm now among the top in the world in the 50 butterfly, but it is a difficult event in which you can fall short just when you think you're doing well. The key is not to try too hard. If I can do that, I can see a medal.
Yomiuri: The 50 butterfly has been added to the Olympic program.
Ikee: More than being happy about that, I feel a sense of obligation because it will draw everyone's attention. I'm ranked among the world's best, but I cannot afford to let my guard down even for a moment.
Yomiuri: What are your thoughts on the Olympics?
Ikee: I think I'm the only one who has experienced such different Olympics. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, I was a first-year high school student on my way up, and the Games was a dazzling event. I never thought I would be at the Tokyo Games, but I was in the relays. At last year's Paris Olympics, I wanted good results in individual events, but I was made painfully aware that the world is not so easy.
I think I have a deeper experience of the Olympics than anyone else. When I was a high schooler, I thought I would win a gold medal at the Olympics. The illness prevented that from happening, and I realized the importance of the Olympics and how difficult it is. Being an Olympic athlete sounds cool, but I do not want to end my career as just a participant.
Yomiuri: You said you would bring your career to a culmination at the next Olympics.
Ikee: I want to finish with results that make me feel I have done my best in my swimming career. I have decided to retire no matter how I do. I want people who support me to think, 'She did her best,' not only in the 50-meter butterfly, but also in the 100-meter race. I only have a few years left, with only so many competitions. I need to deal with it and cherish it more.
Yomiuri: In September last year, you announced that the leukemia had gone into complete remission.
Ikee: I was sure everything was fine because I felt good, but every time I went for my annual checkup, I thought, 'Please don't let it come back.' Even after returning to competition, it was tough. I had to face the reality that went from No. 1 in the world to being unable to swim. Why me? What did I do wrong? That's all I could think of. There was a time when I couldn't perform well, and I looked for flaws and said only negative things. Now I have changed to a positive mindset.
Yomiuri: You moved your training base to Australia in the autumn of 2023. Did that have a big effect?
Ikee: I'm living each day to the fullest, so that I have no regrets. I am trying out different things, such as changing my training. I can speak English a little now, and this has shortened the communication gap with other athletes.
In May, I went by myself to compete in a European meet. It was tough, but it was an experience I could have only because of what I went through. As my career winds down, I want to continue having such experiences and interacting with others, and make friends from around the world.
