2024 ROMANIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
David Popovici picked off another Romanian Record this week to conclude his competition at the Romanian National Championships. He swam and won the 100 fly on Sunday in 52.30 (Splits: 24.34/27.96).
That shaved .05 seconds off Daniel Martin‘s 2019 record of 52.35 in the event. Martin, who swam that time at just 18, but hasn’t been under 52.98 since that record-setting swim. Now 21, he posted a 53.19 for 2nd place on Sunday.
“Whoever says he is not tired on the last day is lying!” Popovici said after the 100 fly. “Thanks to the audience for coming. I know I have a lot of friends, loved ones, and family in the stands and they are at the core of my inspiration.
“I competed in backstroke and butterfly to see what I was up to. I want to be a complete swimmer. I have to continue to prove that I am capable.”
Popovici’s previous personal best in the 100 fly was just 58.18, done in 2019 – this is not a race that he has swum much in his career. But this week has been all about swimming secondary events for Popovici.
Though he swam a 47.61 Olympic qualifying time on Saturday in his best event, the 100 free, where he’s the World Record holder, he didn’t swim his second-best event, the 200 free, where he’s also the defending World Champion.
Instead, he swam the:
- 100 fly (52.30 – Naitonal Record)
- 50 fly (23.74 – National Record)
- 50 free (22.62)
- 100 back (54.74)
- 400 free (3:51.18)
- and the aforementioned 100 free (47.61)
Popovici finished his meet with a 55.86 leadoff leg on the 400 medley relay, where Bucuresti finished 2nd.
Other Notable Day 5 Results:
- Aissia Claudia Prisecariu swam 2:12.47 in the 200 back, which breaks the Romanian U15 Record. Last year, she set the country’s U14 Record in 2:14.64, and she’s now chasing the overall National Record of 2:08.16 done by Diana Mocanu. Mocanu, one of the country’s greatest-ever swimmers, did that time in 2000 when she was only 16.
- Denisa Bacalu swam 1:01.85 in the 100 fly prelims to qualify first for finals and break the country’s U14 Record. She added time in finals to finish 3rd behind Alexandra Bogdaneci’s 1:01.01. Bacalu is likewise chasing Diana Mocanu – she holds the rest of the country’s records, including a 1:00.02 U15 mark and a 59.12 U16/senior National Record.
- Vlad Stancu, the 2022 World Juniors bronze medalist in the 1500, won that race on Sunday in 15:22.45. That is well shy of his National Record of 15:05, but does put him under the “B” standard for this summer’s World Championships.
- Prisecariu split 1:02.79 on the backstroke leg and combined with Alecsia Maria Tenciu, Simona Maria Predescu, and Daria Mariuca Silisteanu for a 4:16.50 in the women’s 400 medley relay. That whacks almost two seconds off the Romanian Record for clubs in that event, which was set in 1996 – 27 years ago. All four members of that team were born in 2008 or 2009. They represent Clubul Sportiv Dinamo Bucuresti, the same club as Popovici.
