2026 Romanian Nationals Day 4: Daria-Mariuca Silsteanu Breaks Romanian Record With 27.99 50 Back

2026 ROMANIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, April 22nd  – Sunday, April 26th
• Otopeni, Romania
• LCM (50m)
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/ Day 3 Recap
• Live Results

Day four of the Romanian National Championships saw a number of Romanian superstars in action including women’s backstroker Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu and men’s freestyler David Popovici.

Silisteanu swam the first event of the day, the women’s 50 backstroke. She touched in 27.99, beating silver medalist Aissia Claudia Prisecariu‘s 28.59 by more than half a second.

Her swim took three tenths off her former Romanian record time of 28.26 from the European Junior Championships in July of 2025, and officially makes her the first Romanian woman under 28 seconds in the event.

David Popovici picked up his 3rd event win of the meet in the 100 freestyle, the final event of the session. He stopped the clock in 47.52, coming in half a second ahead of silver medalist Patrick Dinu‘s 48.01.

This swim was about a second off his lifetime best in the event of 46.51, which he swam at the World Championships in Singapore. He was also about two tenths off the 47.30 he swam at last year’s meet.

Popovici’s swim is tied for the 4th fastest time in the world this season with Brooks Curry‘s swim at the Malmsten Swim Open in Stockholm. American Chris Guiliano currently holds the top time at 47.38, a little more than a tenth ahead.

The men’s 50 backstroke went to Denis Laurean Popescu in 25.41, just over two tenths ahead of Tudor Andrei Iordache‘s 25.66. Popescu has been 24.96, which he swam at the 2024 Romanian Championships. Andrei Ungur won the bronze medal in 25.81.

The rest of the individual events went to rising stars for the Romanian team, none of whom have reached the age of 20 yet.

Daria Asaftei, the Romanian record holder in the women’s 100 breaststroke, won the event in 1:10.66. She was a little more than a second off her National Record time of 1:09.23 from the European Junior Championships last summer. She touched a little under two seconds ahead of Alecsia Maria Tenciu‘s 1:12.38 for 2nd.

The men’s 100 breaststroke record holder Darius Stefan Coman also won the event, swimming 1:01.32, which was a little under half-a-second off his best 1:00.85 from the World Junior Championships last summer. Danis Volontir finished 2nd in 1:01.42.

Irina Preda won the women’s 100 freestyle in 55.62, about half-a-second behind Rebecca Diaconescu‘s 2024 Romanian record time of 55.15. This swim was a new personal best, taking a tenth off the 55.75 she swam at last year’s Nationals.