2025 LEN U23 European Championships
- Thursday, June 26 – Saturday, June 28
- X-bionic® sphere Pool, Šamorín, Slovakia
- LCM (50m)
- Start Times – Local: Prelims – 9:30 am / Finals – 6:00 pm
- Start Times – EST: Prelims – 3:30 am / Finals – 12:00 pm
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Livestream (Pay-To-Watch)
- Recaps:
H/T to Tencor for the inspiration for this article.
On Saturday in Samorin, Romanian David Popovici swam a new best time of 46.71, which is the #2 performance in the history of the event.
The result is building anticipation for an explosive head-to-head showdown in Singapore between Popovici and China’s Pan Zhanle. Both swimmers are only 20 years old, setting up as much as a decade of battles between the two.
In spite of their relatively-young age, the two now hold 9 of the 12 fastest performances in history in an event where no other swim in the top 50 performances was done by a swimmer as young as they are.
Top 15 Performances in History – Men’s 100 LCM Freestyles
| Swimmer | Time | Year | Age | |
| 1 | Pan Zhanle | 46.4 | 2024 | 19 |
| 2 | David Popovici | 46.71 | 2025 | 20 |
| 3 | Pan Zhanle | 46.8 | 2024 | 19 |
| 4 | David Popovici | 46.86 | 2022 | 17 |
| 5 | David Popovici | 46.88 | 2024 | 19 |
| 6 | Cesar Cielo | 46.91 | 2009 | 22 |
| 7 | Pan Zhanle | 46.92 | 2024 | 20 |
| 8 | Alain Bernard | 46.94 | 2009 | 25 |
| 9 | Caeleb Dressel | 46.96 | 2019 | 22 |
| 10 | Pan Zhanle | 46.97 | 2023 | 19 |
| 10 | Pan Zhanle | 46.97 | 2024 | 19 |
| 12 | David Popovici | 46.98 | 2022 | 17 |
| 13 | Jack Alexy | 46.99 | 2025 | 22 |
| 14 | Caeleb Dressel | 47.02 | 2021 | 24 |
| 15 | Cameron McEvoy | 47.04 | 2016 | 21 |
| 16 | Eamon Sullivan | 47.05 | 2008 | 22 |
Popovici is currently 7,591 days old. In his most recent entry on the list, the World Record swim from August, Pan was a few days shy of his 20th birthday, or 7,306 days old.
While there are a few other 20 year olds on the list, none were as young as Pan or Popovici currently are. Australian James Magnussen was 7,644 days old when he swam the #22 time in history (47.10). American Chris Guiliano was 7,664 days old when he swam the #42 time in history (47.25).
The next-highest ranked swimmers who were younger than Pan and Popovici is a tie: Russian Kliment Kolesnikov was 7,574 days old when he swam 47.31 in history in 2021, and American Jack Alexy was 7,494 days old when he swam 47.31 in 2023. That ties them as the #53 performances in history.
While the men’s 10o free isn’t exactly an event dominated by veterans, most elite swimmers go their best times at ages 21 and 22. The graph below shows the age distribution of the current top 51 men’s performers in history.
That means that Pan and Popovici are, based on historical standards, coming into their prime.
Love the data on peak age for the top times. Surprised it’s so low for a sprint event but checks out when I think about it for Chalmers, Dressel, etc. And now I’m curious what it’d be for all the remaining events!
It’s a great rivalry. Makes it extremely exciting to watch the two battle it out. 🙂
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe all of his 46s were outdoors. What could be the reason?
The timing of the meets could be a conflating factor. They’ve all been at a meet that ostensibly wouldn’t be his primary meet of the year.
Could just be vibes, keeps him relaxed, etc.
Very very interesting
It’s Bobby Finke or bust for the male contingent of USA Swimming, once again.
US men’s 4×100 free will win gold, and in contention for gold in m4x100 medley and m4x200 free.
Idk about the medley 😂
Hobson still stands a good chance and if alexy can be consistent so does he, in the 50 and the 100
Tommy tariffs talking about swimming!! I commend you sir
I take it from two dolls Donny fanboy
Mouthwatering prospect for many years of to and fro WR swims and head to head battles between these 2 great swimmers. Bring it on!!!
Super fantastic!
It would be like if Popov and VDH were of the same age.
We swimming fans are eating well for the next decade.
Not a big deal, but that 7th-fastest time was swum on July 27—Pan was still 19 then, not 20. His 20th year has been pretty quiet so far, with only one long-course meet. He did win 9 titles, but was clearly not in his best form, swimming with a 102°F fever. Hopefully he makes it to Singapore for an explosive head-to-head showdown with flying Popovic.
I want to know if hé had drug exemption for that because at Doha was sick too. I am waiting to see if in Singapore will be sick and if so if he have a drug exemption
Meh.
Dressel and his million TUEs are laughing.
Yeah, while I am definitely suspicious of that contaminated burger story, I really think Americans are overplaying their hand with all this complaining and accusing every Chinese swimmer of being a drug cheat, considering how many elite American swimmers are on ADD drugs or steroid inhalers that they don’t really need.
It’s not about casting aspersions upon individuals as individuals. It’s about the fact that one nation’s government-run, centralized sports program has a long, documented history of systematically doping its swimmers that began when it welcomed disgraced coaches from the GDR across its borders to build its swimming program and the presumption that all swimmers training with it are either doped without consent or have no choice but to comply with such protocols. The U.S. has no such equivalent, and TUES are publicly declared. To be clear, this is not to say that U.S. athletes never dope, only that when they do, it reflects their own individual choices rather than participation in a state-mandated sports schema.
Publicly declared? Are you sure? Then please name a few athletes who are using TUE. For many years, TUE has become a privilege for American athletes. It is very easy to apply for TUE, while the pass rate for athletes from other countries is extremely low.
I don’t mean “public” in the sense that there is an online list of swimmers with a TUE that anyone with an internet connection can access (although some of this info is probably available owing to a 2016 hack). I mean “public” in the sense that the athlete himself must initiate the process to obtain one through documentation filed either with USADA which per its own website is an “independent, non-profit organization. . . governed by a Board of Directors” or, per USADA’s protocols, with “the relevant International Federation or Major Event Organization in advance of the International Event.” Athletes applying for a TUE are openly declaring a need for one and creating a paper trail in pursuit of it.… Read more »
“Systematic doping” would be correct if more than one swimmer was actually confirmed as cheating by WADA in the past 2 decades. Except for one accidental case, there’s zero so it’s false to claim a serious label of systematic doping without the proper evidence and rulings.
Plus they can afford proper coaches and nutrition. And the guy been tested like 30 times. More than others. Don’t make defamations unless you have actual evidence to back them up.
Anything in China is going to be inherently more centralized because that’s the nature of their society. Nevertheless, I haven’t seen anything as egregious as what Russia was doing in terms of running a state-mandated doping scheme. I also think there is a certain ugliness to why people like Travis Tygart are a lot more aggressive towards China than Russia with their rhetoric, and that bothers me.
If you talk to people outside of the US, they complain about how American athletes take advantage of our nation’s LACK of centralized standards or regulations. Any American athlete can doctor shop to any random doctor in the country, who will give them an adderall or inhaler prescription. This makes it much… Read more »
He has been tested more than 30 times a year. Do you think he will have a TUE? He’s not a disabled American athlete. 🤣
Exactly. Dude can be tested 100 times a week and haters will still give copium that his swim is impossible.
He was healthy in Doha and he broke wr but he thought that was performance average. He was never got sick in Doha. Stop making a rumor and he never had drug exemptions. Defaming others makes you happy?Shame on you.
Actually all of Pan’s times listed above were at 19. His has only 1 sub 48 (47.77) after turning 20.