Swimmers back stricken champ Ikee

swimmers have vowed to step up their efforts in support of Rikako Ikee, the poster girl for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics who has announced she is suffering from leukaemia.

The 18-year-old swim queen tweeted a few days ago that she had cut short a training camp in Australia after feeling unwell and had been diagnosed with the illness on return to Japan.

The news sent shockwaves around the sport and wellwishes have flooded in for Ikee, a genuine title contender at the 2020 Olympics in her home city.

“I was shocked,” two-time world champion Daiya Seto said at the Konami Open here on Saturday.

“With the Tokyo Olympics on the horizon, people will no doubt be urging her to get well and compete.

“But obviously life is more important,” added the Rio Olympic bronze medallist. “I just pray she gets better soon and we can see her cute smile again — all we can really do is pray.”

Ippei Watanabe promised to break his own world record in the men’s 200m breaststroke at the Japanese championships in April to help encourage Ikee in her battle to recover.