Tokyo, Japan, March 11, 2021: OCA Asian Games MVP Rikako Ikee will contest four events at next month's national swimming championships as she continues her comeback from leukemia, her management company said Wednesday, March 10.
Kyodo News reported that the 20-year-old Ikee, who was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2019, will swim the women's 50m and 100m freestyle, the 100m butterfly and the non-Olympic 50m butterfly at the April 3-10 meet, which doubles as the Tokyo Games qualifiers.
Ikee, who has played down her chances of competing at the Olympics, will be eligible for Olympic selection if she meets the entry standard time and finishes in the top two in the finals of any Olympic event.
The OCA MVP of the 2018 Asian Games - with six gold and two silver medals in the Jakarta pool - has repeatedly said she is not aiming to compete at the postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer.
In a statement, Ikee said her goal for the nationals was to reach the finals in each of her events.
"The results of this meet will depend on how much confidence I can build in everyday practice, so I want to train hard for it," she said.