Hangzhou, China, September 29, 2023: The tears flowed as Zhang Yufei and Rikako Ikee embraced, multiple Asian Games gold medal-winners sharing a special moment between champions on the podium at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena.
With her victory in the women’s 50 metres butterfly, Zhang matched Ikee’s achievement from five years previously, winning a record-equalling sixth gold medal at a single Games to write her name in the history books.
That Ikee would share the podium with Zhang in her final race of the meet was fitting, the Japanese capping her remarkable comeback with a bronze medal-winning swim that triggered tears and relief after a four-year journey from a life-changing leukemia diagnosis.
“I told her don’t cry, don’t cry,” Zhang said of her emotional moment with Ikee as the pair were presented with their medals.
“When they announced her name on the podium, I already felt like crying. But I thought to myself, this is a live telecast, I cannot cry. Then I saw her hugging her coach in tears. In that moment, I could not hold back my tears any more.”
Ikee’s medal was her first since learning she had leukemia in February 2019, less than six months after dominating the Asian Games in Jakarta, where she won eight medals, six of them gold. That was a feat that saw her named the Asian Games Most Valuable Player.
The 23-year-old has been on a long journey of recovery ever since, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics against the odds and also featuring for Japan at the world championships in Fukuoka in July.
Her Asian Games involvement was not without its challenges, with Ikee falling ill during the meet and only managing to finish fifth in the 100m butterfly final, well adrift of Zhang’s gold medal-winning swim. But her performance in the 50m butterfly offered some joy.
“(Zhang) asked me why I was crying and I said, 'Well, why are you crying, too?',” said Ikee. “I was crying because I felt relieved by seeing my coaches' faces.
“I felt that (Zhang) had massive pressure on her shoulders. Our nationalities are different but we are both Asian swimmers. I want to be good competition for her, so we can both swim in a great race together.”
Few swimmers were able to offer Zhang much competition in Hangzhou as the 25-year-old dominated in the pool, completing a sweep of the butterfly events as well as winning the 50m freestyle and the women’s 4 x 100m freestyle and the mixed 4 x 100m medley relays.
As the standout performer for a China team that won 28 of the 41 gold medals available, Zhang will go to the Olympics next year among the favourites to succeed in Paris.
“Take one step at a time,” she said of her plans for the immediate future. “I hope to present a stable, improved version of myself at every race and that will help me be more confident in myself as I go towards Paris."
