Ingram on song on third day of heats at Panpacs
North Shore swimmer Melissa Ingram was the pick of the swimmers on the third morning of heats at the Pan Pacific championships in Canada today.
Ingram, 21, secured a spot in the A final in the 200m backstroke with a strong swim, with five other New Zealanders qualifying for B finals on the penultimate day of the meet in Victoria.
The 2004 world short course 200m backstroke medalist was only a fraction outside the personal best she set at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, finishing seventh fastest in 2:12.75 in the morning heats.
Clubmate Hannah McLean, the bronze medalist in this event in Melbourne, made it to the B finals in 2:15.60, while newcomer John Zulch, also from the same club, qualified for the B final in the men’s event in a personal best 2:04.70.
Both Moss Burmester and Corney Swanepoel made it through to the B final of the 100m butterfly. Burmester, the Melbourne 200m fly gold medalist, was 11th fastest in 54.01, just ahead of Swanepoel as they watched American world record holder Ian Crocker set a championship record 51.78s to top the heats.
Liz Coster, who performed so well in the backstroke on the opening day, qualified for the B final of the 100m butterfly where the main interest was the disqualification of American star Natalie Coughlin.
Lauren Boyle (West Auckland Aquatics) is the first alternate for the final of the 400m freestyle as is Bryn Murphy (Waves, Dunedin) in the men’s race where he set a personal best 3:58.58.
Day 3 heats results:
400m freestyle:
Women: Lauren Boyle 4:21.30, 23rd; Helen Norfolk 4:25.39, 27.
Men: Bryn Murphy 3:58.58, 23; Robert Voss 3:59.80, 25; Michael Jack 4:03.19, 29.
100m butterfly:
Women: Liz Coster 1:01.59, 16.
Men: Moss Burmester 54.01, 11; Corney Swanepoel 54.26, 13; Andrew McMillan 56.45, 31.
200m backstroke:
Women: Melissa Ingram 2:12.75, 7; Hannah McLean 2:15.60, 16.
Men: John Zulch 2:04.70, 19; Dean Kent 2:05.00, 22; Cameron Gibson 2:07.30, 24.
