Silver lining for Ingram at World University Games
North Shore swimmer Melissa Ingram (pictured) saved the best until last when she claimed New Zealand’s first medal in the pool on the final night at the World University Games in Bangkok.
Ingram, only seventh fastest qualifier in her favoured 200m backstroke, produced a superb personal best to win a silver medal at the Thammasat University Aquatic Centre.
The 22-year-old clocked an impressive 2:11.98, which was only half a second from the winner Kelly Harrigan (USA) and inside her previous best of 2:12.00 set in creating a meet record at the Janet Evans Invitational Meet in California last month.
Her clubmate Helen Norfolk won New Zealand’s last individual medal in Turkey two years ago and previous was two decades previous by Anthony Mosse in Zagreb.
Fellow North Shore swimmer Glenn Snyders completed an impressive championship with fourth place in the B final of the 50m breaststroke, recording two personal bests in the process. He qualified for three B finals and broke one New Zealand record this week.
“Melissa has been in really excellent form this year. She swam strongly in the USA last month and has shown the benefit of that hard racing here,” head coach Jan Cameron said.
“Now she has dipped under the 2:12 barrier and has continued to improve and begin to look at Anna Simcic’s national record.”
Ingram’s time is a second outside Simcic’s record that was set back in 1991.
New Zealand swimmers qualified for eight A finals, finishing with one silver, a fourth, three fifth placings, two sixths and one seventh. Moss Burmester, Liz Coster and Corney Swanepoel each made two A finals.
The 4x100m individual medley relay team (John Zulch, Glenn Snyders, Corney Swanepoel and Cameron Gibson) broke the national record by a second, finishing in 3:39.06s.
“It’s been a tough meet coping with the heat and humidity but there’s been some excellent swims from the likes of Melissa Ingram, Glenn Snyders, Corney Swanepoel and Liz Coster.
“Of course Moss is disappointed that he did not fulfill his promise in the 200m butterfly but that will no doubt fire him up to the task ahead as we prepare for Beijing 12 months away.”
The New Zealand team comprises 73 athletes from nine different sports. With over 10,000 competitors and officials from 170 nations competing in 17 sports, the World University Games are the second largest global multi-sports event after the Summer Olympics.
NZ results, day 6 finals:
A final, 200m backstroke: Kelly Harrigan (USA) 2:11.48, 1; Melissa Ingram (NZL) 2:11.98, 2; Takami Igarashi (JPN) 2:12.04.
B final, 50m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders 28.52, 4.
