Japan swimming trials 2024: Ikee Rikako secures quota for Paris 2024 by slim margin
Ikee Rikako secured a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - by all of 0.01 seconds.
Ikee clocked 57.30 to take second in the women’s 100m butterfly at the Japanese swimming trials on Monday (18 March), going under the qualifying time of 57.34 and securing a quota for her third consecutive Games.
But while Ikee had surrendered first place to 17-year-old Hirai Mizuki, little did she know that third-place Matsumoto Shiho was charging in fast at the wall. Only when the two-time Olympian looked up out of the water that she had held off Matsumoto by one one-hundredths of a second.
Then Ikee exhaled, big time.
“In the end I think it was my long arms that won the touch,” Ikee said, tipping her hat to Hirai who won in an impressive 56.91 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. “Just making the cut of 57.34, I think God was on my side today.
“I couldn’t see my time at first. I knew I had lost the race but didn’t think it was only 0.01 between me and third place.
“I’m just really, really glad. That’s all I can feel.”
Ikee qualified first for the final in 57.03 a day earlier, saying she hoped for a 56 on Monday. The 23-year-old came up short, but none of it mattered to someone who was staring death in the face four years ago when she was diagnosed with leukemia.
Ikee did not qualify for an individual event for Tokyo 2020, making the relay team which was still a feat considering she had only returned to competition less than a year prior to the trials.
When Ikee clinched a spot for her home Games, there were tears. On Monday, she was all smiles.
“I’m still not closing races strong enough,” said Ikee, whose next race is the 100m freestyle on Wednesday. “I always tire late so I gave it everything I had.
“I thought I’d hear (coach Janelle Pallister) from the stands to give me that one last push but the crowd was so loud I couldn’t hear her.
“But I’m so happy I met the time and won my ticket to Paris. I didn’t finish first but I’m really pleased with myself right now.
“I want to keep working when I go back to Australia and have a Games in Paris with no regrets.”
