David Popovici: Paris 2024 And Learning To Block Out The Noise
Just weeks after 16-year-old David Popovici came within 0.02 of an Olympic medal in Tokyo, he said: “We have bold plans. I’m not going to go into more detail…For now, we’re taking little steps, but those little steps will bring us one day to (where we want to be).”
Within a year he was a double world champion and two-time European gold medallist.
He wrote a new line in the history books with a WR in the 100 free, memorable for all who were there at the Foro Italico in August 2022.
The Romanian couldn’t reproduce that soaring form in 2023, a year which proved difficult for the teenager to navigate.
Hwang Sunwoo, David Popovici & Tom Dean: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
But come the European Championships in Belgrade in June 2024 and Popovici was poetry in motion as he rattled the 100 standard that now belongs to Pan Zhanle and produced the fifth-fastest 200 in history.
Up next, Paris.
Three years after he finished fourth in the 200 and seventh in the 100, Popovici returns to the Olympic arena.
He said:
“I really try to not think about it that much. I am going to treat it as just any other competition for which I have really trained and the thing is, I just have to trust my process, trust the training I do and the training I do is, was and will be intense and so it is going to be worth it.”
He added:
“Since the last Olympics I have talked about going to the first Olympics for the experience and now that I have got my experience I can only look towards even bigger things at the next Olympics.”
The Actor On His Stage
Cast your mind back two years to the European Championships in Rome.
David Popovici: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia
There Popovici stood, arms outstretched, before bowing to each side of the Foro Italico as the audience rose as one to applaud the 17-year-old.
He had just broken the 100 free world record, slicing 0.05secs off the previous standard of 46.91 set by Cesar Cielo in the very same venue.
In second was Kristof Milak, the 200 fly world record-holder, who called Popovici a “crazy genius” as the swimming world and beyond universally paid tribute.
There was more to come in the Eternal City as he clinched the 200 title in 1:42.97 to become only the third man through the 1:43 barrier after Paul Biedermann (1:42.00) and Michael Phelps (1:42.96).
There was more silverware at the World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, in September 2022 as he swept all before him.
He was feted throughout the swimming community and beyond: news outlets wanted interviews, there were TV appearances and awards and all of this amid the glare of social media.
There was state recognition too when Popovici was granted the Order of the Star of Romania, the highest civil order and second-highest state decoration.
It took its toll though and at the Fukuoka World Championships, Popovici could not reproduce those performance levels, coming fourth in the 200 and fifth over 100m freestyle.
Recalling it all, Popovici added:
“At first it was very fun. I think everyone has a real part of themselves that wants to be sort of famous, have people stop them on the street and stuff.
“But when it got tiring and that was 2023 the solution we came up with was simply stop it. Stop any exposure, stop going to any TV shows, stop giving interviews – except when it’s necessary.
“Don’t do anything extra.”
David Popovici: Photo courtesy: European Aquatics
He has learned to ignore social media and has his own private account with around 30 friends and family that follow him there.
He added:
“I think one of the things that I think about more now that I didn’t in 2023 is that Roger Federer said in one of his last speeches that life is bigger than the court but life is bigger than the pool.
“So just being able to focus on myself, on my mental health and taking care of myself on a personal plan, on a professional plan as well. That really made me more content with swimming, with who I am. It made me more peaceful.”
Focus On His Charity Work
So too did his focus on charity work which included melting down his 200 free gold from Budapest 2022 as part of a fundraising and awareness campaign for children with cancer.
For Popovici now, the most important consequence of fame is being able to harness it for the great good.
“I think it’s the most important thing I can do with each public exposure I get.
“Being famous or a little famous is I guess cool at times and people recognise you and you get called on the news and stuff and people want to take pictures with you.
David Popovici: Photo Courtesy: Simone Castrovillari
“But really that makes no difference in the world, it is not really that important, it just cool sometimes.
“So doing some of the charity work I’m really involved with, be it the kids with cancer project or building homes for people who really didn’t get the same chance as us, I think it’s very important and I think everyone should try doing that.
“I am not putting myself on a high horse, it’s just that I find it very important and I really believe in that. I guess I’d say more proud of that than any of the other things I do.”
Blocking Out The Noise Of Olympic Year
After winning 100 free bronze at the European Short-Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania, the bells ushered in Olympic year.
Popovici bypassed the Doha worlds in February where Pan eclipsed his 100 free WR as he led off the Chinese 4×100 free quartet in 46.80.
The Chinese claimed the 100 title with Hwang Sunwoo, of the Republic of Korea, taking the 200 free with many swimmers absent and others amid training.
Popovici was shocked to lose his 100 WR but at last month’s European Aquatics Championships, he clocked the third-fastest time in history of 46.88.
He then produced the fifth-fastest 200 in history, going 1:43.13 to secure the double in the Serbian capital to complete the double-double.
Now to Paris and a possible maiden trip to the Olympic podium, two years after coming so close in the 200 in the Japanese capital.
He planned to spend final weeks before the Games training in the same pool in Romania where he first went as a four-year-old.
“In the sun, getting tanned, staying relaxed, staying off the grid, just doing me, keeping it simple,” he said.
“Like I said before, the secret is that there is no secret.”
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
He will control what he can control, attempting to block out the distractions, good and bad.
“I can’t really control all of the noise that is around me but just like a kid who is addicted to sugars and addicted to sweets, it helps if you don’t have sweets in the house.
“That is why I did (what I did) with uninstalling my social media: I am not following anything swimming related or me related.
“I just focus on myself, focus on life, and that is one of the differences.”
