At the World Championships in Fukuoka in July this year, Zhang Yufei wrote "Be the best of yourself" in the palm of her hand, until Rikako Chie passed by, she showed her this passage, and agreed to meet in Hangzhou.
More than a month later, on the evening of the 29th, the two stood on the podium together, and Chijiang Lihuazi, who had finished presenting the award, cried out holding the coach, and Zhang Yufei, who could still suppress her emotions, looked back and saw Chi Jiang with pear blossoms and rain, and she couldn't help but shed tears.
Rikako Chie tries to accept her still imperfect self, while Zhang Yufei becomes the one who stands next to her and is always willing to give hugs.
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Zhang Yufei said that when she saw Chi Jiang crying, she couldn't bear it anymore. Video Editor Huang Qing (00:44)
tears
On the podium, Chijiang Lihuazi wore a panda snap button on her right hand, which was a gift from Zhang Yufei.
In an interview two days ago, Zhang Yufei said that she hoped to give Chijiang Lihuazi a gift, but she never knew what to give. Later, Chi Jiang mentioned the name of the panda in an interview, so Zhang Yufei gave the panda ornaments he carried with him to the other party, "I told her that I didn't have time to go out and buy her a big one, so I could only give him the one I brought with me." ”
Zhang Yufei is a very empathetic person, she will wear different accessories at the award ceremony, she will stay in the mixed mining area for a long time, and even take the initiative to mention the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day to help journalists complete various KPIs.
Zhang Yufei cried with Chi Jiang.
Treat the media like this, and naturally treat friends more sincerely. So Zhang Yufei, who walked off the podium, couldn't help but cry the moment she saw Chi Jiang Lihuazi: "Before the race, Chi Jiang said that she hoped that the Asian Games could stand on the podium, and her goal from the last genius to this one is only to stand on the podium, I especially feel sorry for her." ”
"Seeing her finally win a medal on her last day of swimming was not easy. I already had some emotions on the podium, and when I turned my head and saw Rikako Ikee and the coach hugging and crying, I couldn't help myself. ”
At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, 18-year-old Chi Jiang won six golds and two silvers, becoming the first swimmer in history to win six gold medals at one Asian Games, and was named the "Most Valuable Athlete" of that Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Zhang Yufei and Chi Jiang high-fived in the pool.
disappear
But everything came to an abrupt end.
According to Japanese media reports, Ikee initially felt unwell during the external training, and then returned to Japan for examination, and was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, less than a month after she was named Japan's swimmer of the year.
Since her admission in February 2019, Rikako Ikee has been treated for 10 months, during which she has been treated with anti-cancer drugs and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with little physical training, and the pain of treatment once made her want to give up her life.
"The process was tens to thousands of times harder than I had imagined, and I couldn't eat for days." This is Ikee Rihuako's emotion on social media half a month after receiving treatment - because of the discomfort of chemotherapy, she cannot eat, or even watch TV or answer the phone.
"At my lowest ebb, I thought about dying. I felt that if I had to go through such pain, I had better die. ”
Chi Jiang won the bronze medal in the women's 50m butterfly, and the panda in her hand was given by Zhang Yufei.
But she eventually survived. In February 2020, Rikako Ikee resumed on-land training after being discharged from the hospital, and entered the pool for the first time on March 17 of that year to "test the waters".
In August 2020, Rikako Ikee, who has short hair, competed in the women's 50m freestyle at the Tokyo Metropolitan Special Championship, her first event since her comeback, and Ikee finished first in her group with a time of 26.32 seconds. Although this result is 2 seconds slower than her personal national record in Japan.
In 2021, Rikako Ikee appeared at the Tokyo Olympics, and although she only registered for the women's 4×100 freestyle relay and medley relay, the story itself is inspirational enough from leukemia patients to returning to swimming.
self
For athletes, pain and suffering are just daily life, and the real torment is the difference from peak to bottom.
At the Japanese swimming trials at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Rikako Ikee, who has returned for a year, burst into tears at the press conference: "There is no progress, what is this year?" ”
At that time, the traces of the disease slowly faded on her, but the explosiveness and strength belonging to athletes could not be found in a moment - under the dual pressure of time and state, Rikako Ikee left more only depression.
But with the advent of the Paris Olympic cycle, Rikako Ikee has more time to find herself, and her mentality has become more calm and calm.
After the Japan Swimming National Championships, Rikako Ikee said: "Now there is not much pressure and tension, I am very relaxed and really enjoy the competition. ”
According to Rikako Ikee, in the past, you could swim fast without thinking about anything, but now you need to find a way to suit yourself.
To this end, Rikako Ikee practiced firing every day and learned how to dive deep immediately after entering the water to obtain better propulsion.
"For my current self, what I need most is to complete each goal step by step and slowly improve my state."
In March this year, Rikako Ikee also wrote on social media: "Because of frustration and pain, I have cried many times during practice, but this is the first time I cry with joy. ”
As her form has improved, Rikako Ikee's goal is no longer limited to returning to the pool: "It's more fun to compete against world masters than to fight in Japan – in the 100m butterfly, I want to be able to compete with as many world athletes as possible." ”
"At the Tokyo Olympics, I wanted people to think I was really back in swimming, but I couldn't. This year, I want to prove in a competition that the real Rikako Ikee is back. ”
It's getting better and better
Obviously, whether it is Fukuoka in July or Hangzhou in September, Chijiang is still some distance from his true self.
After the women's 50m butterfly heats, Rikako Ikee said after the race: "I came back faster than I expected, and because I returned so quickly, I felt the unwillingness and pain that only I knew. ”
Unwillingness and pain naturally refer to her performance at the Asian Games. On the second day of the competition, Ikee contracted the flu and became unwell and had to abstain from the women's 100-meter freestyle competition. The following day, Ikee finished fifth in the 100m butterfly final.
Ikee's results in this Asian Games are not as good as this year's Japanese Swimming National Championships, when Ikee won the women's 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly and 100-meter butterfly in one go. The 100m butterfly was 57.68 seconds and the 50m butterfly was 25.59 seconds.
But as Zhang Yufei said in an interview: "As long as Chijiang appears in the pool, it is a miracle, and she is an inspiration to anyone." ”
Ikee describes the journey as follows: "Every time I play, I feel that my condition has not yet returned to my best, but every time I do a little bit of what I can, maybe a big flower will bloom at some point, so I can always endure the pain and move forward." ”
On December 17, 2019, Ikee wrote down his goal when he was discharged from the hospital - to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics and win a medal.
For Chi Jiang, everything can get better, the only thing that is needed is the precipitation of time.