Swimming: Revitalised Ingram raring to go for the 'bun fight'

Melissa Ingram has made a strong return to competition after overcoming health problems. Photo / Brett Phibbs

With world championship and illness setbacks behind her, swimmer Melissa Ingram is ready for a "bun fight" in her specialist event at the Games.

Ingram, 24, made a strong return to top-level competition at the Pan Pacific championships in California last month, finishing fifth in the 200m backstroke.

A semifinalist over the 100m and 200m distances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she had a tough 2009, failing to qualify for the world championships in Rome and also suffering from low iron levels in her blood.

The Aucklander, who was part of the bronze medal-winning 4x200m freestyle relay effort at the 2006 Melbourne Games, admits her failure to make it to the Italian capital has been a "pretty big" motivator.

"After reassessing my future in the sport, I really decided I would keep swimming for Delhi. This has been my focus for 18 months."

Her iron deficiency was put right in a few months and it was then a case of just watching the levels, she said.

Her performance at the Pan Pacs, including her time of two minutes 9.98 seconds, the 18th fastest in the world this year, has lifted her confidence.

"It was my first time under 2:10 without a bodysuit, so everything's looking good."

That said, Ingram knows she faces tough competition for the podium in her main event, with five of the year's 10 fastest times being set by Commonwealth swimmers.

Ingram will also compete in the 100m backstroke, the 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Head coach Mark Regan was reticent on the subject of medal predictions for the 12-strong team.

He was happy with where the team were at, saying the Pan Pacs had been a "reasonably successful" meet. The two big movers during that competition were backstroker Gareth Kean and medley specialist Natalie Wiegersma.

Wellingtonian Kean, who turns 19 during the Games, was fifth in the men's 200m and seventh in the 100m in his first major international meet.

Southlander Wiegersma, 20, was fifth over 400m and seventh over 200m and is in the world's top 20 in both.

There were also notable performances from backstroker Emily Thomas, and freestylers Natasha Hind and Laura Boyle.

New Zealand took home six medals from Melbourne in 2006, with butterfly specialist Moss Burmester doing the double of 200m gold and 100m bronze.

However, Hastings-born Burmester, who finished a superb fourth over the longer distance in Beijing, will have his work cut out to repeat those feats.

The 29-year-old has struggled to adapt to the ban on high-tech bodysuits.

"It hasn't been a smooth build-up, but you have to put that all aside now," he said.

"I'm just going to go in and make sure I get the things I can control right. I know I'll give it everything, 100 per cent."

- NZPA