At the Japanese National Championships last month, 16-year-old Rikako Ikee became the first female to claim national titles across 5 individual events. Clinching wins in the 50m/100m/200m freestyle races, as well as the 50m/100m butterfly, Ikee has set herself up to race the same 5 individual events at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. She’ll also most likely make an appearance in all 5 of the Japanese relays.
Speaking with Kyodo recently, Ikee says she ‘has a sense of fulfillment’ regarding her incredible feat in Nagoya. However, the teen dynamo also humbly says, “It hasn’t sunk in being called an ace. I’m not at that sort of level yet at all.”
Looking to Budapest, now less than 70 days away, Ikee has already set her sights on a specific target in the form of Canada’s Penny Oleksiak. “I want to win a medal and beat [Canada’s] Penny Oleksiak,” Ikee tells Kyodo.
“We’re the same age and I was winning when we met at the World Junior Championships 2 years ago. It’s frustrating to see the gap grow bigger so I’ll try to narrow it instead this time.”
In Singapore at the 2015 World Junior Championships, Oleksiak and Ikee played cat and mouse throughout the prestigious competition. Oleksiak struck first, winning silver in the 100m freestyle with a mark of 54.65, while Ikee finished 4th with 54.82 in that same final.
But, Ikee took the top prize in the 50m butterfly in 26.28 to Oleksiak’s silver medal-garnering time of 26.45. Ikee also beat out Oleksiak in the 100m butterfly in a time of 58.28 to Oleksiak’s 58.50.
The times seem almost pedestrian now two years later. Last year, Oleksiak blasted onto the senior international swimming scene in a big way by tying American Simone Manuel for gold in the 100m freestyle in Rio with a monster 52.70 Ikee’s best Rio finish was 6th place in the 100m fly in 56.86.
Oleksiak has been named to Canada’s World Championships roster for the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly events, both of which pit her against Ikee. Currently, Ikee ranks 9th worldwide in the 100m freestyle with her mark of 53.60, while Oleksiak is positioned 13th with her time of 53.84. Ikee also holds a leg up currently in the butterfly race, holding the 2nd fastest mark in the world of 56.89 to Oleksiak’s 57.35.
Ikee’s plan of attack? “My times will improve considerably while I swim comfortably if I can up my pace and increase my thrust too-even if my stroke temp remains the same. I believe my times won’t improve unless I alter my technique, so hopefully I can make that change in a possitive manner.”
In the women’s 50m freestyle where Ikee currently holds the world’s 5th fastest effort of the season in 24.48, she says she ‘doesn’t want to give the event to anyone.’ Of the ferocity of the splash n’ dash event, Ikee says of her racing strategy, “there’s no room to look around, it finishes in a flash and is the one in which I have to concentrate the most. It’s the one in which I can most be in a world of my own.”
Regardless of how things turn out in Budapest, we’ll no doubt be treated to a preview of what may possibly take place in Tokyo come the year 2020.
It’s also worth mentioning that Oleksiak actually broke her elbow about 6 weeks before the World Juniors in 2015. Without that, she probably would have done better in her individual events. Then again, they worked almost exclusively on her kicks while her arm was in a sling which may have helped a lot in the long run.
Am I the only one who thinks that 5 individual events, all with heats, semi-finals and finals, is too much when she might also be on 5 relay teams? If Ikee does swim in the relay heats and the schedule is the same as last year, she’ll have 5 races on both day 4 and day 5, three of which will be 200m.… Read more »
Hhmm, fair point about the potential Ikee workload however, a not of caution has to be made with regards to the mixed relays. We don’t know which nations WILL bother with them and which ones won’t, CAN did enter both in Kazan, JAP only one.
CAN can probably get away with resting Oleksiak from the heats of the 4×100 & 4xMED, 4X200 somewhat less so.
And that is a fair point about the mixed relays, but that wouldn’t reduce the overall workload by much, nor does it change the fact that Oleksiak’s performance in the 2015 world juniors was affected by her broken elbow from 6 weeks before.
Canada is potentially set up for the 4×200 better this year than last year. Katerine Savard went exactly one second faster in the 2017 trials compared to the 2016 trials. You’ve got 2 16-year-olds (one was 15 the day of) that went almost as fast as number 3 and 4 last year (last year’s 3rd qualifier was Savard), and Oleksiak didn’t even compete in the 200 free at trials whereas she qualified 2nd last year. Both of… Read more »
Hhmm, the W4X200 in Budapest is looking quite a bit different to what we saw in Rio with a lot of countries decimated by post Olympic retirements/others taking time out. What we have at the moment are:
USA (as expected) clearly ahead of the pack with Ledecky a level abover everyone else then a ruck of 1.57s to choose from, from which you can expect they will at least deliver 1.56 splits
CHN has a ruck of 1.56s/1.57 low but without an obvious “killer” leg
After that you have a rugby scrum of teams like AUS, CAN, HUN, ITA, JAP. With most if not all of these, you have one outstanding leg (McKeon -AUS, Oleksiak -CAN, Hosszu… Read more »
Don’t count worrell out
3 thoughts:
I’m a fan, she seems cool
This is an example of a good way to call people out in my opinion, respectful but shows she’s competitive.
If she is on all relays for Japan and finals in her individuals that’s a max of 25 swims at worlds. That’s a really hard schedule
This title made me cringe
Me too. Probably for different reasons; SwimSwam posted “Manuel vs. Olesiak” and then Olesiak dropped out. If it happens again we have a trend.
Can’t wait for this!!
Me neither!