David Popovici Smashes European Championship Record with 47.20 100 Free

2022 EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 11 – Wednesday, August 17, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Rome, Italy
• Parco Del Foro Italico
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times
  • Prelims: 9:00 am local / 3:00 am ET
  • Finals: 6:00 pm local / 12:00 pm ET
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Double world champion David Popovici wasted no time breaking records on Friday morning in Rome. 

The 17-year-old Romanian sensation reset the European Championship record in the 100-meter freestyle prelims on Friday morning, clocking a 47.20 to lower the previous mark set last year by Kliment Kolesnikov (47.37). 

Kolesnikov and his Russian teammates were banned from the meet this year along with Belarusians for their country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

It was the second-fastest swim of Popovici’s career, less than one-tenth of a second slower than his world junior record of 47.13 from the World Championships in June. He cruised to the top qualifying spot headed into the semifinals later today with a comfortable lead four-tenths of a second ahead of the field. 

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

• World Record: 46.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 2009
• European Record: 47.11, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2021
• European Championship Record: 47.37, Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2021
• 2020 European Champion: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2021

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. David Popovici (ROU) – 47.20
2. Alessandro Miressi (ITA) – 47.60
3. Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA) – 48.27
4. Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 48.31
5. Nandor Nemeth (HUN) – 48.32
6. Heiko Gigler (AUT) – 48.43
7. Stan Pijnenburg (NED) – 48.57
8. Andrej Barna (SRB) – 48.59
9. Hadrien Salvan (FRA) – 48.60
10. Manuel Frigo (ITA) – 48.76 (X – country limit)
11. Thomas Dean (GBR) – 48.79
12. Kristof Milak (HUN)/Diogo Matos Ribeiro (POR) – 48.88
13. –
14. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) – 48.92 (X – country limit)
15. Luis Dominguez (ESP) – 48.98
16. Bjorn Seeliger (SWE) – 49.01
17. Matthew Richards (GBR) – 49.02
18. Charles Rihoux (FRA) – 49.15 (X – country limit)
19. Karol Ostrowski (POL) – 49.22

Italy’s Alessandro Miressi (47.60) was the only other sub-48 swimmer in the field during prelims. The Italian record holder was just .15 seconds off his personal best. 

Popovici, who turns 18 next month, has already posted 11 sub-48 swims since he first broke the barrier last July at Euro Juniors. 

Popovici’s sub-48 swims

1. 47.13 – 2022 Worlds
2. 47.20 – 2022 Euros
3. 47.30 – 2021 Euro Juniors
4. 47.34 – 2022 Euro Juniors
5. 47.54 – 2022 Euro Juniors
6. 47.56 – 2021 Euro Juniors
7. 47.58 – 2022 Worlds
8. 47.60 – 2022 Worlds
9. 47.69 – 2022 Euro Juniors
10. 47.72 – 2021 Olympics
11. 47.76 – 2022 Euro Juniors

Popovici paced himself well, going out in 22.93 and coming home in 24.27. Miressi split 23.12 on the front end before finishing the last lap in 24.48. 

The Euro Championship record might not be the last one Popovici takes down this week. He was just .09 seconds off Kolesnikov’s European record of 47.11 from last summer’s Olympic semifinal. He was also four-tenths of a second faster than his prelims time from Worlds, indicating a potential to go much faster here just two months later. Popovici’s lifetime best is .22 seconds shy of the world record held by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo with a 46.91, also from 2009. 

Popovic’s time would have earned him a bronze medal at last summer’s Olympics ahead of Kolesnikov and behind Australia’s Kyle Chalmers (47.08) and U.S. star Caeleb Dressel (47.02).

Also in the 100 free heats, Luis Dominguez became the first Spanish swimmer to go under 49 seconds in the event. He broke Sergio De Celis’ previous national record of 49.07 from last August.