Competitive swimming Ikeda Rikako Pool practice open "I'm really enjoying it" July 2 18:24

Rikako Ikie, a swimmer who aims to return from leukemia to the competition, announced to the press on the 2nd that he will practice in the pool for the first time after being discharged from the hospital. “I really enjoy swimming,” said Ikee.

Ikee announced leukemia, had been hospitalized for about 10 months, and was discharged from hospital in December last year and has resumed training with the aim of returning to the competition.

On the 2nd, Niie University's second year player Ikee showed the practice to the press at a university pool in Tokyo. Due to the influence of the new coronavirus, Ikee resumed full-scale practice in the pool from the middle of last month, and on the 2nd it took about 2 hours to check the favorite butterfly and free-style swim 3000 I swam more than a meter.

While practicing, there were some scenes where I received lessons from my coach and reduced the number of swims than I expected, but I was doing almost the same menu as my teammates.

Currently, I am undergoing tests at the hospital once a month and training in the pool 4 days a week.

Ikee said that he was able to restart his practice at the pool. “I really enjoy swimming and I feel like I am getting stronger day by day. Now I am a 1st grade or 2nd grade swimmer. I think I'm back."

Based on his struggle with illness, he said, "I may not be able to recover, but I want you to know that you can grow stronger even if you get sick." It was.

Currently, he is aiming for participation in the Japan Student Championship scheduled for October this year and says, "There are times when the Tokyo Olympics will be postponed and participation is expected, but the goal is to be the 2024 Paris Olympics. I want to put it in place and build a solid foundation now."

On the 4th day of his 20th birthday, Ikee said, “I want to be aware of this as an adult's first step. I want to be an internally strong woman with my own will.” ..

Little by little to return to the competition

Ikee drew a lot of Japanese records from the time he was in the third year of junior high school, with a beautiful underwater posture with little resistance to water and a large and relaxed swim.

At present, we have a Japanese record of "11" for individual events, including the record of the 25-meter short channel. In the Jakarta Asian Games for adults, she won the first ever 6 crowns in one tournament in Japan and was selected as the MVP of the tournament.

In February last year, he was diagnosed with leukemia and was hospitalized. He was treated with chemotherapy such as anticancer drug and hematopoietic cell transplantation. Ikee, who continued to receive medical treatment after returning to the competition, visited the venue of the Japan Student Championships in September last year and cheered on to his teammates as a member of the swimming club at Nihon University.

After that, his symptoms gradually subsided and he remained stable, so he was discharged from hospital in December last year. After leaving the hospital, he resumed training while continuing to treat with the goal of participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics and winning medals.

In March this year, he revealed on his SNS that he had entered the pool for the first time after the leukemia was announced, and then released a picture of him in the pool with a smile. I am showing you how to do it.

Coach Nishizaki "Step by step without overdoing"

Ikee is currently training in a group with the athletes aiming for the Olympics under the coach of his swimming club.

Coach Nishizaki, who is instructing, said, “I think he is training with a constant smile, and his time is improving little by little, so I think he is making good progress.”

In practice, I basically do the same menu as my teammates, practice to swim a long distance, and put restrictions on when breathing is disturbed, ``First, do not overdo it throughout the year. I would like to give guidance so that I can grow one step at a time."

Satoshi Mochida "feeling mental strength"

Satoshi Mochida, a third-year student at Nihon University, who is currently practicing together with Ikee in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, said, ``I had been away from the pool for a long time, I feel that I have a feeling of "regret," and I feel emotionally strong. I feel strongly that I must see what she does and do what I can do." did.