2024 ROMANIAN NATIONALS
- Wednesday, April 17th – Sunday, April 21st
- Otopeni, Romania
- LCM (50m)
- Start List
- Recap #1/Recap #2
- Results
Day 4 finals of the 2024 Romanian Nationals are just now getting underway from Otopeni but we wanted to point out a significant swim that came in this morning’s heats.
Racing in the prelims of the men’s 100m freestyle, 19-year-old phenom David Popovici cranked out a solid morning out of 48.52.
Besides the fact he was the sole swimmer under 49 in his already-speedy outing, Popovici also negative split this swim to land lane 4 for tonight’s main event.
Popovici opened in 24.29 and closed in 24.23, with the splits representing a rare negative differential in a race of this rapidity.
The teen did the same type of effort at last month’s Antwerp Diamond Meet where he posted a heats swim of 48.57, negative splitting 24.33/24.24. He ultimately earned gold in the final in 48.34.
We’ll see what the former world record holder has in store for the medal-contending contest shortly. His former WR remains at the 46.86 notched in 2022.
Already here he’s produced a 200m free mark of 1;45.10 and a new lifetime best of 3:47.54 in the 400m free.
As far as I’m concerned, he is the CURRENT world record holder. Cheating China.
At first glance I’d thought he’d dyed his hair purple.
Jeah
Rhetta Race writes about Popovici’s race of rapidity.
23.90 23.89 incoming in the finals
47.86 in the final
23.49 + 24.37
He also said that until Paris, he’ll also swim in Barcelona at Mare Nostrum and Euro in Belgrade
47.86 in the final
Even if he doesn’t break 48 in a few hours, I’d still be very impressed. We know he’ll be at least 47low/mid this summer, and I’m all for the implications of where his 200freee (tapered) would be at if he’s not rested enough to be sub48 here
I love the skinny legend
He will be back to peak form by Paris