TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee defied the odds and secured an Olympics berth after the leukaemia survivor won the women's 100-metre butterfly at the national championships on Sunday, less than eight months after she returned to competition. She then broke into tears and took some time to exit the water having become overcome with emotion at her accomplishment. Ikee had been expected to be one of Japan's top medal hopefuls at the Tokyo Olympics before she was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2019. But she had said she was not aiming for Tokyo and that the Paris 2024 Olympics were her goal. "I wasn't really aiming for victory," Ikee said.

Source: The Star April 04, 2021 08:48 UTC