New Zealand swimmers gain more World Cup success

Leading New Zealand swimmers Glenn Snyders and Melissa Ingram continued on their winning ways in the FINA World Cup on Tokyo overnight.

Snyders took out the 100m breaststroke in a superb battle while Ingram won the 400m freestyle, coming from behind over the final 50m for the victory.

It was the 10^th win between the pair from Swimming New Zealand’s high performance centre in the World Cup short course circuit, which moves to the final round in Singapore at the weekend.

Snyders, edged back to third in the 50m on the first day, was in outstanding form in the 100m, heading the field through the halfway mark in an impressive 27.10s. He held off the fast finish from 200m breaststroke world record holder Akihiro Yamaguchi to win in 57.98.

This was a fraction outside the New Zealand record he set in Berlin but his fifth time under the 58 second barrier in the series, all now within the top-15 times in the world this year.

Australian Alanna Bowles led the way ahead of Ingram, who then showed her strength to push through to the lead over the final 50m to win in 4:05.22.

Former world champion and three-time Olympian Katinka Hosszu (Hungrary) who has battled with the New Zealander for much of the series, pushed through from fourth to second forcing Bowles back to third.

It was an impressive win for Ingram over Hosszu, who is leading the way as the top ranked woman in the overall series, chasing the $100,000 bonus.

Matamata’s Matthew Stanley had a demanding night, finishing ninth in the 1500m freestyle in 15:01.19 and then backing up with eighth place in the 200m freestyle in 1:47.72.

In other swims Mitchell Donaldson (North Shore) was 18^th in the heats of the 200m individual medley in 2:01.20 while Taranaki’s Dylan Dunlop-Barrett was 27^th in 2:03.88.

Tokyo day 2 results:

1500m freestyle: Michael Klueh (USA) 14:38.64, 1; Pal Joensen (PAL) 14:44.83, 2; Ayatsugu Hirai (JPN) 14:45.60, 3. Also: Matthew Stanley (NZL) 15:01.19, 9.

200m freestyle: Darian Townsend (RSA) 1:43.31, 1; Robert Hurley (AUS) 1:43.93, 2; Tomasso D’Orsogna (AUS) 1:44.49, 3. Also Stanley 1:47.72, 9.

100m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders (NZL) 57.98, 1; Akihiro Yamaguchi (JPN) 58.22, 2; Kouichirou Okazaki (JPN) 58.67, 3.

400m freestyle: Melissa Ingram (NZL) 4:05.22, 1; Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 4:05.33, 2; Alanna Bowles (AUS) 4:07.34, 3.