20-year-old Rikako Ikee has been seen as a prodigy, and holds the junior world record in no less than five distances.
But in 2019, her career was put on hold, when she suffered from the cancer disease leukemia.
Better results
But now she is finished, and back in the competition pool.
In August, she made a comeback at a smaller competition in Tokyo, and since then she has shown better and better results.
Two weeks ago, she took her first podium place since her comeback when she finished second in the 50-meter freestyle at the Japan Open, and today she finished third in the 100-meter butterfly at the Tokyo Open - her first distance race where Sarah Sjöström is the reigning Olympic gold medalist.
Olympics no goal
Her time, 59.44, means that she is now qualified for the Japanese Olympic qualifiers in April.
But she herself says that this summer's Olympics in Tokyo is not a goal for her.
- I can not say that it is something I am aiming for right now.
When we start to achieve world-class results, I can start thinking about it, she says according to the Olympic Channel.