Fukuoka 2023, Day 7 Asian Recap: Rikako Ikee Makes First Comeback Worlds Final

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

As China continues to plow its way through these World Championships on a golden path, 2020 Olympic Games host nation Japan is firmly situated in its seat on the struggle bus.

Daiya Seto claimed 400m IM bronze on night one and Tomoru Honda followed with a bronze in the 200m fly. However, since those races the country has been quiet, with the tomorrow’s final day bringing just a small prospect of podium placement opportunities.

One such opportunity remains for Rikako Ikee, with the two-time Olympian set to take on the 50m freestyle. The event comes on the heels of 23-year-old making her first World Championships final since having returned to racing after spending nearly all of 2019 in the hospital battling leukemia.

In the 50m fly this evening, Ikee finished 7th in a time of 25.78. That was after she produced outings of 25.50 in the heats and 25.72 in the semi-finals.

She already raced the 100m free here as well as the 100m fly, placing 15th (54.86) and 17th (58.61), respectively.

Ikee has been racing domestically over the past 2+ years, taking part in her first comeback meet of the Tokyo Special Swimming Tournament in August 2020.

She continued gaining strength both in and out of the pool, remarkably making Japan’s Olympic team for the postponed 2020 Games. Ikee ultimately helped the women’s 4x100m free and mixed medley relays place 9th, as well as the women’s 4x100m medley relay finish 8th at the Tokyo Games.

Ikee wound up taking most of 2022 off of racing, forgoing last year’s World Championships in Budapest as well as the Short Course World Championships in Melbourne.

National/Continental Records Through Day 6:

• China
  • Qin Haiyang – 57.69 men’s 100m breaststroke Asian Record; 26.20 50m breaststroke Asian Record; 2:05.48 World Record
  • Women’s 4x100m free relay – 3:32.40 Asian Record
  • Men’s 4x100m free relay – 3:11.38 Asian Record
  • Xu Jiayu – 24.41 men’s 50m backstroke
  • Li Bingjie – 8:13.31 women’s 800m freestyle Asian Record
  • Tang Qianting – 30.08 women’s 50m breaststroke
  • Zhang Yufei – 25.05 women’s 50m butterfly
• Hong Kong
  • Women’s 4x100m free relay – 3:39.93
• India
  • Aryan Nehra –  8:00.76 men’s 800m freestyle
• Kyrgyzstan
  • Denis Petrashov – 59.78 men’s 100m breaststroke
• Malaysia
  • Khiew Hoe Yean – 8:05.11 men’s 800 freestyle
  • Bryan Leong – 52.96 men’s 100m butterfly
• Singapore
  • Letitia Sim – 2:27.73 200m breaststroke
• South Korea
  • Choi Dong-yeol – 59.59 men’s 100m breaststroke
  • Back In-chul – 23.50 men’s 50m butterfly
  • Kim Woomin – 7:47.69 men’s 800m freestyle
  • Hwang Sunwoo – 1:44.42 men’s 200m freestyle
  • Men’s 4x200m free relay – 7:04.07
  • Mixed 4x100m medley relay – 3:47.09
  • Mixed 4x100m free relay – 3:27.99