2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, December 13 to Sunday, December 18, 2022
- Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
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Romanian sprint star David Popovici took down the men’s 100 freestyle World Junior record during the semifinals of the 2022 Short Course World Championships with a time of 45.91.
18-year-old Popovici cracked the previous World Junior record set by Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov at 46.11 in 2018 at the Salnikov Cup in St. Petersburg. The young Romanian’s strategy tonight highlighted his strong back-half speed, finishing the race in 23.51 compared to Kolesnikov’s final 50 split of 23.81.
This is Popovici’s second Romanian national record of the day; his prelims race was already a best time and new Romanian record (46.15). He took out the race slightly faster in finals, and came home .20 stronger.
Split Comparison – Kolesnikov’s WJR vs Popovici in Prelims and Semifinals
| Splits: | Kolesnikov (2018) | Popovici (2022 SCWC semifinals) |
Popovici (2022 SCWC prelims
|
| 22.3 | 22.4 | 22.44 | |
| 23.81 | 23.51 | 23.71 | |
| Final Time: | 46.11 | 45.91 | 46.15 |
Coming into this meet, Popovici’s lifetime best 100 free time was 46.62 which he posted in October. This swim puts Popovici slightly closer to the short course meters world record. He already holds the 100 free word record in long course which he broke at the European Championships in August. But, he still has a ways to go to reach Kyle Chalmer‘s SCM world record of 44.84. “Perhaps in a few years, this rivalry will be real,” Popovici said of this short course meters rivalry with Chalmers just before the meet, explaining that he believes their current rivalry only exists in long course. “My goal is to qualify for the final, and as we all know, once you have a lane, you have a chance.”
Popovici is coming off a historic part of his swimming career where he earned the titles of World champion, European champion, World Junior champion, and world record holder in the same year. He is entered in two more events at this meet: the 200 free and 400 free.
My heart skipped a beat before I realized it was short course
Is anyone concerned he’s got that 400 free so close to the final?
Finally a good question… If he’ll be really swimming the 400 free heat in the morning, it’s clear that he and his coach are prioritizing the learning experiences for the future rather than the best result in the 100 free final.
Going out 22.4 seems slow considering his second half split. I’d think he has more in the tank
He got a 45.2 in him rn and he’ll get third remember this comment
No,but this will make Daddy hungry again more hungry that juice Grousset and Miressi are so slippery in this pool
You thinking what i’m thinking? will that “project 45” look like this…