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David Popovici Swims 1:43.13 200 Freestyle, #5 Performance All-Time, Top Time In World

2024 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
  • European Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
  • Championship Record: 1:42.97 – David Popovici, Romania (2022)

GOLD – David Popovici, Romania 1:43.13
SILVER – Danas Rapsys, Lithuania 1:45.65
BRONZE – Antonio Djakovic, Switzerland 1:46.32

David Popovici of Romania clocked the 5th fastest 200 freestyle of all-time with a 1:43.13 to defend his European title. Popovici went out under World Record pace at the 100 mark flipping in a 50.08, 0.04 seconds ahead of record pace.

Split Comparison:

Popovici-2024 Euros Biedermann- WR Popovici PB
50 23.83 24.23 24.1
100 26.25 25.89 26.25
150 26.71 26.18 26.61
200 26.34 25.7 26.01
1:43.13 1:42.00 1:42.97

Popovici was out fast and felt the pain at the end as he fell off World Record pace by the 150 mark. Earlier this week, Popovici swam a 46.88 in the 100 freestyle, the #3 swim in history and said that he is un-tapered at this meet. Popovici’s swim also was the 5th fastest performance all-time.

Top 5 All-Time Men’s 200 Freestyle Performances

  1. Paul Biedermann, Germany, 1:42.00 (2009)
  2. Paul Biedermann, Germany, 1:42.81 (2009)
  3. Michael Phelps, USA, 1:42.96 (2008)
  4. David Popovici, Romania, 1:42.97 (2022)
  5. David Popovici, Romania, 1:43.13 (2024)

Popovici now moves up in the World so far this season as his previous season best stood at a 1:44.74 from the Mare Nostrum series. Popovici is the only swimmer to have swam a sub-1:44 swim as Lukas Martens of Germany held the previous top time of the season with a 1:44.14 from the end of April.

2023-2024 LCM Men 200 Free

DavidROU
POPOVICI
06/21
1:43.13
2Lukas
MÄRTENS
GER1:44.1404/27
3Sunwoo
HWANG
KOR1:44.4009/27
4Matthew
RICHARDS
GBR1:44.6904/07
5Duncan
SCOTT
GBR1:44.7504/07
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David S
4 months ago

The WR will never be broken, but at least we have a swimmer in the world who can flirt with it.

Phillp
4 months ago

1:42.5 in Paris

Sqimgod
4 months ago

Surely Pan zhan le steps up to him in the 200. Pan’s faster than popovici in both the 100 and 400

Troyy
Reply to  Sqimgod
4 months ago

Popovici can go faster than his PB in the 400 for sure and Pan is underperforming in the 200.

applesandoranges
Reply to  Troyy
4 months ago

Pan, before or after eating “tainted” meat.

VictorC
Reply to  applesandoranges
4 months ago

Just like your “tainted” mind.

Troyy
Reply to  applesandoranges
4 months ago
DeRubempre
Reply to  Sqimgod
4 months ago

Rest assured.

Pan’s gonna wipe the floor with his competitors and do his boots on haters.

Viewers discretion is advised. lmao

Last edited 4 months ago by DeRubempre
flicker
Reply to  Sqimgod
4 months ago

its actually a very similar scenario to Haughey and O’Callaghan on the women’s side, I feel like its a situation where David/Mollie haven’t reached their potential in other events yet whilst Zhanle/Siobhan have maybe had a bit more experience racing other events but haven’t quite reached their 200 free potential yet

Popovici vs Pan:
22.16       21.91
46.86       46.80
1:42.97    1:44.65
3:47.54    3:45.58

O’Callaghan vs Haughey: 
24.49           24.30
52.08           52.02
1:52.48        1:53.92
4:07.21        4:05.30

Christian
Reply to  Sqimgod
4 months ago

Fuck off you and Panzani lol

Aragon Son of Arathorne
4 months ago

This kid is taking the 100 and 200 free in Paris. Make no mistake.

Andy
Reply to  Aragon Son of Arathorne
4 months ago

If he is in his best form in Paris and makes no mistakes then it’s possible. The 200m is almost guaranteed, I cannot see him going a second slower than today. The 100m is more difficult.

TheSwimCritic
4 months ago

Now imagine if the had a polyurethane bodysuit. We could have seen the first 1:41.xx 200 free

Togger
Reply to  TheSwimCritic
4 months ago

He’d go something ludicrous, but potentially less ludicrous than we might think, the guys who seemed to get most benefit from the suits were generally heavier, more powerful swimmers (Cavic, Birdermann), opposite to Popovici.

Aragon Son of Arathorne
Reply to  Togger
4 months ago

Wait until he’s 22 and bigger. He’ll break the WR.

Troyy
Reply to  Aragon Son of Arathorne
4 months ago

Or he’ll get slower by ruining his power to weight ratio.

Aragon Son of Arathorne
Reply to  Troyy
4 months ago

doubtful

supersuittruther
Reply to  TheSwimCritic
4 months ago

Maybe not, because of his stroke, size and body type he may not benefit from a super suit the way Biedermann certainly did.

Togger
4 months ago

So many guys will have trained all year to go out 50 flat and hold on, thinking that could get them a 1.43 high that’s good enough for gold based on last summer.

Now they suddenly got to bring it home 26 low too, brutal.

Noah Fence
4 months ago

please train for the 400 free after this Olympic cycle. His DPS is just too good to not focus on the 400 at some point in his career

Mr Piano
Reply to  Noah Fence
4 months ago

Nah he’s said he wants to go 45 in the 100 free. The 100 is no less important than the 400, and that’s what his skill set is right now.

Owlmando
Reply to  Mr Piano
4 months ago

Id say the 100 is probably more important

Noah Fence
Reply to  Mr Piano
4 months ago

Oh ya 100% but he’s got a (potentially) long career ahead of him and the way he swims his 200 you just KNOW he’s got a nasty 400 free in him somewhere.

Megan
Reply to  Noah Fence
4 months ago

He’s already training the 400 ’cause his coach told him so. He doesn’t like that distance, but Coach thinks he could be very good at it, so he’s doing what Coach says.

Noah Fence
Reply to  Megan
4 months ago

Based and mid-d pilled

uwk
4 months ago

So happy for this kid. He handled the setbacks with such grace and now he’s back up.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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