Ingram on Podium again in Moscow

Ingram finished second in the final of the 400m freestyle after winning the 200m backstroke yesterday.

The 23 year old from the Swimming New Zealand High Performance Centre at Millennium Institute qualified sixth fastest for the final.

She led out strongly in the final and was only edged out in the final 100m by Russia’s Elena Sokolova who won in 4:03.99. Ingram was second in 4:05.11, a second outside her New Zealand record set in the Sydney World Cup two weeks ago.

Yesterday Ingram produced a well controlled performance to win the 200m backstroke in 2:04.93, clear of Russia’s Maria Nikitina and Japan’s Tomoya Fukuda.
It was Ingram’s third swim in the series in the 2min 4sec range and the win was only 2/10ths outside her New Zealand short course record.

Ingram has scored seven wins and four second placings from 12 finals in the World Cup series to collect further international experience as well as some valuable prize money with NZ$170,000 up for grabs among all swimmers at each World Cup short course meet.

She went into the Moscow meet in fourth place overall in the standings with the top three men and women sharing a further $600,000 at the end of the seven-meet series.

Ingram, who has consistently scored well over 900 FINA points for all swims, will need a 1000 point effort in one of her remaining swims to move into the top three.

She is in action again on Wednesday and Thursday (NZ time) in the penultimate round in Stockholm ahead of the finale in Berlin next weekend.

Today’s result, FINA World Cup, Round 5 Moscow:
Women’s 400m freestyle: Elena Sokoliva (RUS) 4:03.99, 1; Melissa Ingram (NZL) 4:05.11, 2; Kira Volodina (RUS) 4:07.53, 3.
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9th November 2008

Ingram continues on winning way in World Cup Swimming

New Zealand swimmer Melissa Ingram has continued her winning ways in the FINA World Cup series in Moscow today.

Ingram has taken out the final of the 200m backstroke on the first night of finals and finished fifth in the 200m freestyle.

The 23 year old from the Swimming New Zealand High Performance Centre at Millennium Institute cruised through the morning heats of the backstroke in second fastest time of 2:09.14.

She was second at 50m in the final but took control at the midway mark and controlled her pace with maturity with three splits all in the mid-31 second range to win in 2:04.93. Ingram finished clear of Russia’s Maria Nikitina and Japan’s Tomoya Fukuda.

It was Ingram’s third swim in the series in the 2min 4sec range and today’s win was only 2/10ths outside her New Zealand short course record.

It was her seventh win in the World Cup where she is currently fourth overall on points for women, with tomorrow’s 400m freestyle to come and two further rounds in Stockholm and Berlin remaining.

Earlier Ingram was sixth in the final of the 200m freestyle in 1:57.21, won by Sweden’s Josefin Lillhage, who is one spot behind the kiwi on the points rankings.
Day 1 New Zealand results:
200m backstroke: Melissa Ingram (NZL) 2:04.93, 1; Maria Nikitina (RUS) 2:06.80, 2; Tomoya Fukuda (JPN) 2:07.15, 3.
200m freestyle: Ingram 1:57.21, 5