European Championships: David Popovici Fires Off 47.90 100 Free Prelim
David Popovici posted 47.90 in the 100 free prelims on day two of the pool programme at the European Aquatics Championships Belgrade 2024.
The 19-year-old set a WR of 46.86 at the last continental championships in Rome in 2022 as he brought the Foro Italico – and the wider swimming world – to its feet.
Pan Zhanle subsequently lowered Popovici’s standard when he led off the China 4×100 free relay in 46.80 at Doha 2024 as the quartet claimed the world title.
Popovici took to the outdoor pool at the Sports and Recreational Center Milan Gale Muškatirović with the Serbian sun beating down on the swimmers, the pool announcer saying: “It’s showtime now…..and they don’t come much bigger”.
Swimming in the eighth of nine heats, he split 23.27/24.63 to become the only man to go inside 48.
David Popovici: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Following his swim, the 2022 world and European double champion went to join Kristof Milak, who won silver in 47.47 in Rome.
In the shade of the mixed zone, and asked about a 47 prelim, Popovici told Swimming World: “I like it. I planned it.”
Among those joining Popovici in Tuesday evening’s semis will be Serbia’s Andrej Barna (48.14), Hungarian duo Nandor Nemeth (48.40) and Milak (48.41), Poland’s Kamil Sieradzki (48.54) while Ralph Daleiden of Luxembourg lowered his national record to 48.68, slicing 0.09 from the 48.77 he’d gone at the Fukuoka worlds.
Elsewhere, Anastasia Gorbenko kept her bull run of Israeli records going in the 100m breaststroke, lowering her previous standard to 1:06.1.
Eneli Jefimova of Estonia was next through in 1:06.67, the pair the only women to break 1:07.
Olympic bronze medallist Mykhailo Romanchuk was the only man inside 7:50 as he headed the 800 free heats.
The Ukrainian clocked 7:48.22 to progress to the final as top seed ahead of Hungarian Zalan Sarkany in 7:50.36, Dimitrios Markos of Greece (7:50.38), Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski (7:50.51) and all inside the QT for Paris.
Kuzey Tuncelli – the Turkish world junior champion – progressed in 7:53.92 and Nathan Wiffen of Swim Ireland hit a PB of 7:54.60 with Muhammad Yusuf Ozden (7:55.36) and Henrik Christiansen (7:55.62) securing the two outside lanes.
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Roman Mityukov of Switzerland posted the top time of 1:57.19 in the men’s 200 back ahead of Israel’s David Gerchik (1:57.48), Sara Junevik of Sweden headed the women’s 50 fly prelims in 26.01 while Poland set the pace in the mixed medley relay in 3:48.90 with hosts Serbia the quartet locked out in ninth.
- Link to results/start sheets
- 2024 Olympic Games Coverage – Paris
- European Championships Day 1 Prelims
- European Championships Day 1 Report