Will David Popovici Compete in NCAA? Romanian Teen Star Speaks With Brett Hawke About Possibility
As the three-year push toward the next Olympic Games in Paris begins, one of the most-intriguing athletes in the sport is Romanian freestyler David Popovici. The 16-year-old phenom, who set a world junior record of 47.30 in the 100-meter freestyle, was a finalist in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle at the recent Olympics in Tokyo. And over the next few years, Popovici figures to be a presence on international podiums.
In the latest episode of the Inside With Brett Hawke Podcast, Hawke spoke with Popovici about a number of topics, including the possibility of the teenager competing at the NCAA level. While Popovici is planning to race in the International Swimming League later this fall for the New York Breakers, new NIL guidelines may allow him to maintain collegiate eligibility. Obviously, details need to be sorted out.
In the nearly hourlong interview, Hawke and Popovici touch on some of the Romanian’s favorite sets and discuss some of the biggest names in the sport, including Caeleb Dressel and Tom Dean – athletes who won the events in which Popovici contested in Tokyo. Additionally, Popovici addressed taking a break after the Games and the other teenage star in the men’s ranks, Sunwoo Hwang of Korea.
Hawke has taped more than 180 episodes of his podcast, with many of the biggest names of the sport partaking in in-depth conversations that reveal personalities and cover interesting topics in the sport.