Swimming: Three in a row for Ingram

Swimmer Melissa Ingram. Photo / NZ Herald

New Zealand swimmer Melissa Ingram made it three in a row in Europe when she won the 200m backstroke final in the FINA World Cup in Berlin today.

The 27-year-old has won the 200m backstroke final in all three European legs of the international series in Stockholm, Moscow and Berlin.

She saved her best until today, coming from behind in the final 75 metres to beat off the challenge of young American Kylie Stewart and Germany's Jenny Mensing.

Ingram, part of Swimming New Zealand's High Performance Centre and coached by Scott Talbot, won in 2:04.28 in her best time of the series, and gives her two times in the top-12 in the world for the year over the short course distance.

Clubmate Glenn Snyders, who is recovering from a virus that kept him out of some racing at Stockholm, settled for third in the 50m breaststroke. He clocked 26.79 to finish 0.4s behind winner Fabio Scozzoli (Italy).

Snyders did not start in the 200m breaststroke but will compete in the 100m breaststroke tomorrow, while Ingram will compete in the 400m freestyle.

The pair has earned 17 podium placings including five victories so far on the world cup circuit.

The European leg of the FINA Arena World Cup finishes tomorrow before moving on to the three final Asian meets in Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore.

Day 1 results:

Women 200m backstroke: Melissa Ingram (NZL) 2:04.28, 1; Kylie Stewart (USA) 2:04.70, 2; Jenny Mensing (GER) 2:07.31, 3.

Men 50m breaststroke: Fabio Scozzoli (ITA) 26.31, 1; Erik Steinhagen (GER) 26.71, 2; Glenn Snyders (NZL) 26.79, 3.