Defeating the disease and rivals: which athletes participated in the Olympics after recovering from cancer

Rikako Ikee (swimming)

Two years ago, the swimming world was shocked by the terrible news - a young and promising Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee was diagnosed with leukemia.

At that time she was only 18 years old, but she was already one of the best athletes in Asia and won medals in the World Short Course Championships.

The girl had to undergo difficult chemotherapy courses.

Fortunately, the treatment was successful, and after a year Ikee was able to return to training in the pool.

After resuming her sports career, she said that she would strive to get to the Olympics in 2024, and did not even think about getting ready for the home competition in Tokyo.

But after the coronavirus pandemic delayed them by one year, she had a chance to compete for medals in front of her native fans.

At the Japanese championship, taking place these days, Ikee took advantage of this chance.

She won gold in the 100m butterfly.

Although her result was not enough to qualify in this particular discipline, she got the right to at least start in the combined relay 4 × 100 meters.

In the following days, Ikee will try to qualify for the 50 and 100 meter freestyle heats.

Martin van der Weyden (swimming)

In the history of swimming, there has already been a case when an athlete managed to recover from leukemia, and then not only get to the Olympic Games, but also win.

We are talking about the Dutchman Martin van der Weyden.

In 2001, he learned about the diagnosis when he had already won several victories at the national level and took part in the World and European Championships.

Two years later, van der Weyden recovered and continued to perform, achieving more and more success.

The Dutchman achieved his main sports victories in 2008.

He won the 25 km Open Water Swimming World Championship and took part in the first Olympic marathon swimming three months later.

Van der Weyden sailed first to the finish line of the 10-kilometer distance and ended his career there.

Even before leaving the sport, van der Weyden began to actively engage in charity work and raise funds to fund the fight against cancer.

In 2018, he attempted to swim 200 km non-stop on the Dutch canals, and it became a national event, which attracted the attention of the whole country.

Then the swimmer did not manage to finish the distance, but he still raised € 5 million. The next year he made the same attempt again and this time achieved his goal, along the way earning € 6.1 million, which were donated to research oncological diseases.

Eric Shantho (swimming)

Another swimmer who won the Olympic gold medal after defeating cancer was American Eric Shanto.

In 2008, just a week before the national qualifiers, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

But instead of urgently starting treatment, he decided not to give up his dream and continue to compete.

Shant qualified for the 200m breaststroke and went to the Beijing Olympics.

There he broke a personal best, but did not go beyond the semifinals.

Upon returning home, Shant nevertheless lay down on the operating table, and the affected organ was removed.

The next summer, he again began to compete at the highest level and became the vice-champion of the world in his major discipline, and also won gold in the combined relay and bronze in the 200-meter swimming complex swimming.

In 2011, Shantho was no longer as strong in individual swims, but he was still part of the team that confidently took gold in the relay.

He was taken to the next Olympics in London, where he was entrusted with a stage in the preliminary swim.

In the final, the Americans took first place, and Shantho became the Olympic champion.

Jake Gibb (beach volleyball)

American volleyball player Jake Gibb had to hear twice from doctors that he had cancer.

The first time it happened was in 2002, when he was diagnosed with melanoma on his left shoulder.

After removing the tumor, Gibb continued to compete and took part in the beach volleyball tournament at the 2008 Olympics, where he reached the quarterfinals.

Two years later, another shock awaited Gibb.

His doping test showed elevated testosterone levels, which could indicate either steroid use or testicular cancer.

The second option turned out to be true.

Gibb was initially prescribed three courses of chemotherapy.

Fortunately, such a radical treatment was not needed.

Gibb not only recovered, but soon returned to the site and again entered the top eight at the London Olympics.

Now 45 years old, Gibb still plays top-level beach volleyball and has a great chance of making his fourth Olympics.

Mario Lemieux (ice hockey)

One of the episodes in the career of the famous Mario Lemieux was the fight against Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The Canadian striker found out about his illness in January 1993, when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

At that moment, he seriously claimed to break Wayne Gretzky's incredible records in goals and points per season, but was forced to take a break to undergo radiation therapy.

The treatment took two months and quickly led to a positive result.

On the last day of therapy, Lemieux joined the team that was playing against their most important rival, the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lemieux was greeted by foreign fans with a thunderous ovation and was able to throw the puck and make the transfer.

After his recovery, Lemieux no longer won the Stanley Cup, which had previously submitted to his team twice.

But in 2002, at the age of 36, he got his first and only chance to win the Olympics.

Lemieux became the second top scorer in the Canadian national team and helped her win her first victory in 50 years.

Phil Kessel (hockey)

Hockey player Phil Kessel boasts an even faster recovery.

In 2006, he began his career in the NHL, signing a contract with the Boston Bruins, but almost immediately he had to take a break - on December 11, it was reported that the American striker was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Fortunately, a quick surgical intervention made it possible to announce the victory over cancer just five days later.

It took less than a month to recover and get in shape, so Kessel had to miss only 11 regular season games.

He continues to play in the NHL ever since, winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins during that time.

And in 2010, Kessel, as part of the US national team, won the silver medal at the Olympic Games.

Lance Armstrong (cycling)

Lance Armstrong's story is perhaps the most famous case of a truymphal return to the sport after beating cancer.

By 1996, he managed to win the world championship, take part in two Olympics and enter the elite of road cycling.

But in October, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which quickly invaded other organs, including the brain.

According to doctors, the likelihood of surviving such a diagnosis was rather low.

But Armstrong underwent chemotherapy, which caused the disease to recede.

Less than six months later, he resumed training, and in the following years did the impossible - won seven consecutive victories at the Tour de France.

This could be one of the greatest achievements in the sport, but after a few years it became known that Armstrong systematically used doping and achieved his victories thanks to him.

All his results were canceled shortly after recovery.

Armstrong was also stripped of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympics.