2024 MARE NOSTRUM – BARCELONA
- May 29-30, 2024
- Prelims/Finals: 9 am / 5 pm local, 3 am / 11 am ET
- Barcelona, Spain
- LCM (50m)
- Olympic Qualifying Event
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- Livestream
David Popovici has been through a lot in his swimming career for someone who just graduated high school a year ago. After extreme highs and lows in 2022 and 2023, it seems Popovici has found a middle ground where he can be satisfied with his results no matter the outcome.
At the Barcelona stop of the 2024 Mare Nostrum Tour, Popovici took a decisive win in the 200 free, clocking a 1:44.74 on night 1. After the race, the 19-year-old spoke on his last couple years, his mindset heading into Paris, and his reaction to seeing his world record in the 100 free get broken this past February by China’s Pan Zhanle.
This young man is so well spoken, evem with English not being his primary language. He seems like he has a good head on his shoulders, you love to see it.
He’s just a regular guy, nothing special about how he’s talking
I’m hoping he puts out a few poetry books. Haikus inspired by the zen masters.
Dude needs to be traveling the world speaking to athletes. Would make more money and a bigger impact than swimming haha. Great stuff
Wow, what a remarkably intelligent, thoughtful and grounded young man! First of all, to discuss abstract concepts in a second language alone at 19 yrs old puts him at the front of the line when it comes to intelligence. Second, I loved his answer about winning Olympic gold; even if he were to win, it’s not “mission accomplished”, it’s just a mile post in his journey as an athlete and human being. Great interview, thanks Swimswam!
Loved his statement about how boring it would be to only win or only lose…part of the process of being an elite swimmer!
His answer about his goal for the Olympics at the end of the video was beautiful as well. Really wonderful mindset for anyone to have, let alone such a young athlete.
For a kid his age, he is very wise and mature. Mental acuity is important at this level, and so is emotional intelligence, so it leads me to think that he is only getting started.
Easy to admire and root for thus guy. As an American, hard to imagine what it’s like to be totally focused in swimming when you are basically training alone.. Lots of (especially non-American) commenters are always debating here about how college swimming might affect LC performance, but the real lure and benefit of college swimming is that it’s fun… not just regular competition but having a peer group, sharing team goals, and having more opportunities to balance your life. No, I’m not lobbying Pop to come swim for UT or whatever, but it has to be extra-challenging to find joy and balance in life, when you are chasing goals on your own, as he is.
Socially it might be hard to train with other talented peers but maybe it might be better for some to do it that way. The rest of world trains in different fashion than nAmericans and it works for them.
It is similar to those who say so and so so went faster and swam all alone! Maybe some people just swim faster when no one is eye to eye with them?!?! “Swim in own lane” mentality! Most WRs are set without a competitive race eye to eye? Jake Mitchell TT or Katie setting all her WRs and then when she has competition doesn’t have another gear?
With his obvious interest in stoic philosophy he’ll be quite at home on at a university. Popovici has a right future ahead of him swimmer or not (though who am I kidding lol)
The people (yea I know a lot of them are Aussies…) who whine about “bathtub swimming” ruining swimmers are misguided. SCY teaches important skills, and the NCAA just existing is a massive advantage to USA for the reasons you listed.
When is he going to be announcing his commitment to Texas so he can have a real shot at the 200 record?