Japanese Star Rikako Ikee Diagnosed With Leukemia

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Japanese national record holder Rikako Ikee has been diagnosed with leukemia, sharing the news in a tweet on Tuesday.

ご報告です。 pic.twitter.com/zP2ykLRgCD

— 池江璃花子 (@rikakoikee) February 12, 2019

Ikee wrote a lengthy post in Japanese. When roughly translated, it reads:

“Thank you all for your support and everyone involved. Thank you for your support and support from around the day. At this time, I was diagnosed with an emergency return from Australia as a bad condition, and I have a diagnosis of “leukemia.”

“Myself, I still can’t believe it, and it’s a confused situation. But if you do a solid treatment, it’s also a disease that will heal. As a schedule for the future, I have to give up the competition of the Japanese Championship. Now I’m going to take a little rest and devote myself to treatment.”

According to an article that appeared in The Japan Times, the 18-year old is currently hospitalized after the disease was found in the early stages. The swimmer had been training down in Australia, but cut the trip short after chronic fatigue and poor results in training.

“I had never seen her breathing as heavily as that,” her coach, Jiro Miki shared with The Japan Times. “We took her to a local hospital to check her blood and heart but decided to return to Japan as quickly as possible to undergo further tests,” he elaborated. “But as for her motivation to beat this disease, I can only bow my head at her determination.”

Ikee will be skipping the upcoming National Championships in April, which serve as Japan’s qualifying meet for the 2019 World Championships, in order to undergo treatment for the disease.

“I will rest a little and dedicate myself to treatment,” the swimmer said. “I will strive to show you an even stronger version of myself. Thank you for your encouragement and warm thoughts.”

Ikee is the national record holder in the 50, 100, and 200 free and 50 and 100 fly, and was named the MVP of the 2018 Asian Games after winning six gold medals, all in record time.

Olympian and world record holder Sarah Sjostrom was one of the first international swimmers to throw support behind Ikee, posting on her Instagram account that her “eyes are filled with tears” reading the news of her friend’s diagnosis, and that she was “Sending all my strength and love to you!”

View this post on Instagram

My eyes are filled with tears when I read the news about my friend @ikee.rikako being diagnosed with leukaemia. Sending all my strength and love to you!

A post shared by ????? ???????? (@sarahsjostrom) on Feb 12, 2019 at 12:23am PST

View this post on Instagram

Please join me in praying for my beautiful friend @ikee.rikako! She is one of the most disciplined athletes I know. I believe her and her team will be fighting to do all they can to battle leukemia. A simple way we can help her on the road to recovery is by praying, thinking of her, and encouraging her through this time! ??

A post shared by Michael Andrew (@swimmermichael) on Feb 12, 2019 at 6:50am PST

View this post on Instagram

We are praying and thinking of you @ikee.rikako ❤️ Sending you lots of love from your friends in Australia ?? ??

A post shared by EMMA MCKEON (@emmamckeon) on Feb 12, 2019 at 1:26am PST

View this post on Instagram

ニュースを知って、ただただ驚いた。なんて言えばいいのか本当にわからないけど、今はとにかく治療に専念して欲しい。東京五輪に向けてって言う人もいるかも知れないけど今はそこに向けて戦うのではないと思う。何より健康、体調が最優先。世界の最前線で戦ってるリカコなら病気にも圧勝してくれるって信じてる。しっかり治してまた素敵な笑顔を見せてください。リカコが休養してる競泳チームが弱くなったって思われないように頑張るね。日本中が、世界中のスイマーが応援してるよ so sad news about my teammate Rikako being diagnosed with leukemia. We are all supporting and thinking of you Sending prayers and wishes to @ikee.rikako from Team Elite

A post shared by Ryosuke Irie (@ryosuke_irie) on Feb 12, 2019 at 2:31pm PST

The Japan Times contributed to this report.

37 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Pablo Valedon

4 years ago

Donovon O'Rally

4 years ago

Damn…SHE looks soo Healthy….
All the Best n Blessed Be…

Charlene Tallen

4 years ago

I hope she can have a full recovery and come back even stronger than before ?

Coral Whisenand

4 years ago

Prayers

Kristi Sprinkle Hall

4 years ago

Prayers for her and her family is she faces cancer.

Judit Simi Konrády

4 years ago

Remélem,hogy legyőzi!

Helen Keyes

4 years ago

Get better soon xx

Marissa Walsh

4 years ago

Prayers for her.

Larissa Al-Uar

4 years ago

????praying????

Catriona McCole

4 years ago

Wishing her a speedy recovery. X

Teddy Axas

4 years ago

Get well soon

Sandra Rattray

4 years ago

???

Jairo Waiswol

4 years ago

ABRALE – Associação Brasileira de Linfoma e LeucemiaMerula Anargyrou Steagall

Bob McKeon

4 years ago

Terrible – good luck – god bless

Peter Sabbe

4 years ago

Get well soon !

Melanie Loo

4 years ago

Prayers???

Rick Farris

4 years ago

Prayers for her speedy and healthy recovery! Hopefully, she will come back as strong as ever.

Liu Kwok Kuen

4 years ago

Speedy and complete recovery from the disease
Pray for her !

Melanie Englehart Stevens

4 years ago

Praying for her recovery

Dilek Newlon

4 years ago

Wishing her a full recovery. ??

Francis Seugi

4 years ago

????Praying to your recovery champion

Ana

4 years ago

My 1.5 year daughter last year diagnosed leukemia..i was a swimmer also and i know what is that. Hang on sister everything will be fine. We are praying for you