Ikee Rikako out for redemption at Japanese swimming nationals after missing Worlds
The two-time Olympian and cancer survivor will not be going to Budapest in June but has already turned her sights to the Asian Games in September.
If there's one person in the world who can overcome obstacles, it's Ikee Rikako.
But even the best of them have hiccups.
Last month at the Japanese trials for the World swimming championships in Budapest, Hungary, this summer, Ikee failed to make the team despite winning the 100-metre freestyle and butterfly, and finishing runner-up in the 50m fly.
She missed the qualifying times and was in tears afterwards, posting the following on Instagram:
"It's a tough world. I can't go to the World championships even though I met the qualifying time in the relay. I wanted to go, really badly, in the individual races and that may have worked against me.
"But I learned a lot from the races here and I hope to build on this at the next one.
"For now, I need to organise my thoughts and take a bit of time off".
It's been almost a year and eight months since Ikee returned to competition following her bout with leukemia.
We all know about the miracle she worked - and the inspiration she generated worldwide - in qualifying for Tokyo 2020 just two years after her initial diagnosis.
So nearly a summer on, one might think - and want - the ascent to continue at an improbable trajectory.
Ikee herself expected more, in a year with the World championships and Asian Games in Guangzhou on the calendar, the latter in which the 21-year-old was named MVP four years ago in Jakarta for winning six races.
It hasn't quite worked out that way.
But ever the fighter, Ikee has moved on from the disappointment of having to watch the Worlds on TV. She is entered for five events at the Japanese national championships starting on Thursday (28 April) at the Yokohama International Swimming Pool - the 50m, 100m and 200m free as well as the 50m and 100m fly.
She is the Japan record holder in all five of those races.
While Ikee's return to the world stage will have to be saved for another day - like next year, in Japan in Fukuoka - she still has a shot at qualifying for the Asian Games through the nationals.
Beginning Thursday with the 50m fly, Ikee will take her first real steps towards Paris 2024 - where she wants to win an Olympic medal, finally - and we will be all eyes.