2021 JAPAN SWIM (OLYMPIC TRIALS)
- Saturday, April 3rd – Saturday, April 10th
- Tokyo Olympic Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Japan’s Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
- JASF Olympic Selection Policy
- Entries
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/Day 5 Recap/Day 6 Recap
- Live Results
- Live Stream (Prelims Only)
Personifying perseverance, 20-year-old leukemia survivor Rikako Ikee has taken her second title at these 2021 Japan Olympic Trials, qualifying for her second relay berth in the process.
In addition to having already claimed 100m fly gold here and capturing a spot on the Japanese medley relay for Tokyo, Ikee just punched an elite time of 53.98 to snag gold in the women’s 100m free as well. Although she was off the 53.31 individual Olympic qualifying standard set forth by the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF), Ikee has proven once again that she is a fighter.
To fully grasp the impact of her qualification, here is a very high-level timeline of Ikee’s remarkable journey:
2018 – Pan Pacs champion in the 100m fly; Becomes first-ever female MVP of the Asian Games
Feb 2019 – Makes leukemia diagnosis known; spends remainder of the year in the hospital undergoing intense treatments
December 2019 – Discharged from the hospital
March 2020 – Cleared for minimal workouts
May 2020 – Ramped up to 4 in-pool workouts/week
August 2020 – Returned to racing at the Tokyo Special Swimming Tournament
February 2021 – Raced at the Japan Open
April 2021 – Qualifies for the Olympic Games
Post-race, Ikee told Kyodo News, “I’m happy to have come below 54 seconds, but I wanted a little faster time, honestly speaking. This went was all about getting into the top four and beating the qualification standard.”
Ikee still has the 50m free individual race yet to swim here at this meet so she’ll have one more chance for individual qualification.
Anyone have a reasonable reason that she can’t swim. Like I get the JSF has harder cuts than OQT, but why do they do that?
Because they only want the very best but are denying their very best.
Considering that the cuts are based off of what it took to get into the finals at world’s (I don’t know if it’s for top 5 or 3 or whatever finals placing, sorry), they’re placing a cut that would mean the swimmer is likely to make it finals. Probably don’t want to have to pay for a swimmer that isn’t going to make a final and have the chance to medal. Obviously, they should just let the top 2 in each event under the Fina A standard through though.
I’m not sure if what I have is correct, so please let me know if I’m… Read more »
Sounds right, that’s the way it is with a lot of ridiculous sports administration bodies like my country’ track and field association. Selection criteria is based on athletes who beat the bronze medal winning time at the last major games. What ends up happening is that younger, less experienced athletes never get the big stage exposure and experience that they need during their development.
So athletes don’t get to participate in major games while sports administrators get to travel with the few athletes that actually do qualify. It’s ridiculous.
LET HER SWIM!
Amazing story. Congrats to Ikee. Hope she gets to swim the individual events at the Games. Her 53.98 would rank 3rd on the USA swim top times list for this year, and she’s only going to get stronger and faster.
Truly an inspiration!
It would only make sense to let her swim the individual races. She is already going, she is no.1 in the country and would not be stealing someone else’s spot. And she is clearly on a rising curve.
Crazy to me that she isnt allowed to swim individual events when she is going anyway.
I really don’t get swimming administrations sometimes.
And it is a home Games….
While there is no shortage of swimmers meeting the JSF cut, there is also a number of them who meet the OQT but not the JSF cut. Some like Ikee makes the relay with the OQT, while some met the JSF cut in some event but only the OQT in another.
Will make a list of them after the end of them who are top 2 and met the OQT but not JSF cut after the whole event.
Lost In Translation
This woman is a walking nuclear will powerplant. Bless!