Swimming

David Popovici Clocks Career-Fastest 3:47.54 400 Free At Romanian Nats

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By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2024 ROMANIAN NATIONALS

Day 3 of the 2024 Romanian Nationals unfolded in Otopeni with 19-year-old David Popovici taking on his 3rd freestyle event of the competition.

After already topping the 50m free (22.27) and 200m free (1:45.10) podiums, Popovici tried the 400m free on for size and found the same gold medal-worthy success.

The teen stopped the clock in a result of 3:47.54 to handily defeat the field as the sole swimmer to dip under the 3:50 barrier.

Behind him was Vlad Stefan Stancu who collected silver in 3:54.38 while Nandor Nagy earned bronze in 3:55.56.

Popovici’s result checks in as a new lifetime best, shaving .45 off his previous career-quickest outing of 3:47.99 notched in the prelims at the 2022 European Championships.

There in Rome, he ultimately dropped the 400m free final but that’s where the Olympic finalist ripped the then-world record time of 46.86 in the 100m free and became the #3 200m free performer in history with a time of 1:42.97.

Tonight’s splits for Popovici were as follows:

Popovici’s time fell short of the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time of 3:46.78 although it wouldn’t have meant he’d contest the event in Paris should his time have made the grade.

SwimSwam: David Popovici Clocks Career-Fastest 3:47.54 400 Free At Romanian Nats

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