Freestyle Ace Popovici On The Hunt For Romania’s First OLY Medal Since 2004

Romanian Olympic Swimming Roster – Tokyo 2020

• Robert Glinta – Men’s 100/200 backstroke
• Daniel Martin – Men’s 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly
• David Popovici – Men’s 50/100/200 freestyle
• Bianca Costea – Women’s 50/100 freestyle

One of the biggest beneficiaries of the 1-year Olympic delay has been Romanian junior David Popovici. Popovici has emerged over the past few seasons as arguably the world’s best junior swimmer and in the final few months before the Olympic Games has begun settling into the top of the worldwide swimming rankings for both junior and senior swimmers.

Popovici is primarily a 100 and 200 freestyler and recently put on a show at the 2021 European Swimming Championships, lowering the world junior record in the 100 (47.30) and the Romanian record in the 200 (1:45.26). Not only did he become the fastest junior in history in the 100, but Popovici also became the fastest man in the world this season with that 47.30 100 free.

Days after his incredibly 100 freestyle swim Popovici notched a 1:45.26 200 freestyle which got him within a second of Hwang Sun-Woo‘s 1:44.96 world junior record from earlier this season. His 200 freestyle national record made him the 7th fastest man in the world for 2020-2021 which will give him 2 top 8 seeds heading into Tokyo 2020.

Popovici will also race the 50 freestyle the Olympics this summer and is entered with a 22.43 which he swam at European Junior Championships. That time is a little bit slower relative to the field that he’ll face at the Games but if there’s one thing we know about Popovici it’s that he can never be counted out.

David Popovici is coming in hot this summer and will have a shot at collecting Romania’s first Olympic medal since their 2-medal haul at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In 2004 Romania’s Camelia Potec managed to take a gold medal in the women’s 200 freestyle as she raced her way to a 1:58.03 while Räzvan Florea took bronze in the men’s 200 backstroke with a 1:57.56.

While Popovici is certainly the nation’s best shot at a podium finish, Robert Glinta will also be racing in Tokyo and is a bit of a darkhorse in the men’s 100 backstroke. Glinta recently delivered a new Romanian record in the event at the 2021 European Swimming Championships where he took gold in a 52.88. That swim for him makes him the current 13th ranked worldwide this season and 10th seed among those competing in Tokyo. He’s certainly within range to make the final in Tokyo and will have a shot at improving upon his 8th place finish in Rio. Along with the 100 backstroke, Glinte will be swimming the 200 backstroke this summer and is entered with a 1:59.74.

Rounding out the Romanian Olympic roster this summer will be Daniel Martin and Bianca Costea who both swam for the country at the 2021 European Championships. Martin posted a 56.38 in the men’s 100 backstroke at Euros while Costea notched 46th overall in the women’s 50 freestyle with a 26.13. Martin has been a 53.52 before in the 100 back and will also swim the 100 butterfly in which he holds a 52.35 best time.

Costea’s PB in the 50 freestyle meanwhile in a bit faster than her 26.13 from Euros, sitting at a 25.34 from 2019. Along with the 50 free, Costea has entered to race the 100 freestyle and holds a PB in the event of 56.25 which she swam in June 2021 in Bucharest.