Leukemia Survivor Rikako Ikee Qualifies For World Championships In 100 Fly

2023 JAPAN SWIM

• Tuesday, April 4th – Sunday, April 9th
• Prelims at 9:30 am local (8:30 pm previous night EDT)/A-Finals at ~5:00 pm local (4:00 am EDT)
• Tokyo Aquatics Center
• LCM (50m)
• Qualification Meet For World Championships, World Junior Championships, World University Games, Asian Games
• JPN Selection Criteria
• Entries (in Japanese)
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

The 2023 Japan Swim got underway today from Tokyo with the competition marking leukemia survivor Rikako Ikee‘s return to the top of the domestic podium.

While competing in the women’s 100m butterfly this evening, 22-year-old Ikee stopped the clock in a time of 57.68 to take the gold. That not only earned Ikee the victory but also qualified her for the World Championships, dipping under the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF)-mandated time standard of 57.92.

Runner-up Ai Soma also cleared the mark in her silver medal-worthy effort of 57.85 while Hiroko Makino rounded out the top 3 in 57.94.

As for Ikee, the national record holder opened in 27.22 and brought it home in 30.46 to put up her fastest time since returning to competition in late 2020 after spending most of 2019 in the hospital battling leukemia.

She posted a time of 57.77 at Japan’s 2021 Olympic Trials and hit 57.89 last year at the nation’s World Championships Trials. Ikee’s career-best and national record remains at the 56.08 she scorched at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.

Ikee now ranks 8th in the world in the women’s 100m fly. She’ll also be racing the 50m fly, 50m free and 100m free events at these championships.