{"id":352492,"date":"2019-02-18T11:00:45","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T18:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=352492"},"modified":"2019-02-18T11:52:00","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T18:52:00","slug":"the-week-that-was-rikako-ikee-shares-leukemia-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/the-week-that-was-rikako-ikee-shares-leukemia-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Week That Was: Rikako Ikee Shares Leukemia Diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week the swimming community was shocked to learn of one of Japan\u2019s rising stars reveal a startling diagnosis. Read about that story and the other biggest news from the week in the week that was! <\/span><\/p>\n

The Week That Was #5 – Ryan Lochte Opens Up On Celebrity Big Brother<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott<\/p><\/div>\n

In a flashback episode from this season of Celebrity Big Brother, Olympian <\/span>Ryan Lochte <\/b>opened up about his now-infamous incident in Rio de Janeiro<\/span><\/a> following the swimming competition at the 2016 Olympics when he and teammates fabricated a story of being held at gunpoint. It was later revealed they had been vandalizing a gas station bathroom and were stopped by security guards. \u201cI went from everyone loved me, and I was on top of the world, and then I was one of the most hated people,\u201d Lochte said, reflecting that losing the respect of his fans was the most difficult repercussion of his actions. Lochte also lost four sponsors and received a 10-month suspension from USA Swimming as a result of his actions. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Week That Was #4 – Pernille Blume Undergoes Successful Heart Surgery<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports<\/p><\/div>\n

Olympic Champion <\/span>Pernille Blume <\/b>underwent successful heart surgery this week to close a small hole in her heart<\/span><\/a>, according to the Danish Swimming Federation. The gold medalist initially went through surgery at the end of January in order to reduce the risk of blood clots or cardiac arrest for the swimmer. After that operation, doctors found a second, smaller hole, that they again had to go in to close. Blume is planning to join her teammates for a training camp in South Africa, although she has not announced when she will return to competition in 2019. Blume is coming off a summer where she won two silvers and a bronze at the European Championships, and finished 2018 ranked second in the 50 free (23.75).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Week That Was #3 – High School Records Continue To Fall Across United States<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Joe Buettner | The Transcript<\/p><\/div>\n

Now in the thick of championships season, high school records were falling across the country this weekend. Among the highlights were Oklahoma\u2019s <\/span>Aiden Hayes<\/b><\/a>, who flew past Olympian <\/span>David Plummer\u2019s <\/b>6A State record in the 100 back (48.42) with a 47.28. Hayes also broke the 50 free state record by a healthy margin, touching in 20.09 to break the old mark of 20.65. Virginia\u2019s <\/span>Victoria \u201cTorri\u201d Huske\u00a0<\/b><\/a>was another standout, setting a new National High School record in the 100 fly with a 51.29. That broke <\/span>Beata Nelson\u2019s <\/b>2015 mark of 51.62. You can catch up on all the high school results from around the country <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Week That Was #2 – Adam Peaty Pulls Out of FINA Champion Series<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA<\/p><\/div>\n

Olympian and world record holder <\/span>Adam Peaty <\/b>has elected to not compete in the upcoming FINA Champion Series<\/span><\/a>. The gold medalist announced his decision over social media, stating: \u201c\u201cI have decided not to participate in FINA\u2019s new Champion Series due to focussing my preparation on the World Championships and beyond. However, it\u2019s definitely a step in the right direction for the sport.\u201d Peaty has been a supporter of the upstart International Swimming League and has been <\/span>critical of FINA in the past.<\/span><\/a> The Champion Series will take place between March and May this spring, and according to FINA is meant to showcase Olympic and World Championship medalists while also providing the opportunity to receive prize money and appearance fees. Olympians <\/span>Chad le Clos <\/b>and <\/span>Lilly King <\/b>publicly committed to competing in the series this week, <\/span>joining a growing list of international swimmers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Week That Was #1 – Japanese Star Rikako Ikee Diagnosed With Leukemia<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Japanese national record holder <\/span>Rikako Ikee <\/b>revealed on her social media accounts this week that <\/span>she has been diagnosed with leukemia<\/span><\/a>. The rising star learned of her diagnosis after cutting short a training trip to Australia where she was plagued with fatigue and poor results in training. The 18-year old is currently hospitalized and will be forced to miss the upcoming National Championships in April, which serve as Japan\u2019s qualifying meet for the 2019 World Championships. Ikee would have been a major contender in multiple events and a major piece of Japan\u2019s relays. The young swimmer currently holds the national records in the 50, 100, and 200 free and the 50 and 100 fly, and was named the MVP of the most recent Asian Games after winning six gold medals. <\/span><\/p>\n