2024 LUXEMBOURG EURO MEET
- Friday, January 26th – Sunday, January 28th
- Centre National Sportif et Culturel d’Coque, Luxembourg
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview #1/SwimSwam Preview #2
- Paris 2024 Olympic Games Qualifying Event
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
- Entries/Results
The 2024 Luxembourg Euro Meet concluded today, giving us a glimpse into several swimmers’ preparations for next month’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
One swimmer who will not be in Doha is 19-year-old Romanian David Popovici, per the athletes entered per nation appearing on the World Aquatics’ website as of today, Sunday, January 28th.
Nevertheless, Popovici appeared to be in fine form, following up his 200m free season-best of 1:46.19 from last night with a gold medal-worthy performance in this evening’s 100m free.
Popovici stopped the clock in a time of 48.01 to beat the field by over half a second. Opening in 23.09 and closing in 24.92, Popovici’s outing represents a new season-best and his first hit at the event in 2024.
Behind Popovici was Diogo Ribeiro of Portugal who touched in 48.67 to tie the 6th-fastest time of his career. Andrej Barna of Serbia rounded out the podium in 48.70. Of note, South Africa’s Chad Le Clos won the men’s B-Final in 49.34.
The ‘Romanian Rail’ now ranks 5th in the world this season.
2023-2024 LCM Men 100 Free
PAN
WR 46.40
| 2 | David POPOVICI | ROU | 46.88 | 06/19 |
| 3 | Jack ALEXY | USA | 47.08 | 06/18 |
| 4 | Chris GUILIANO | USA | 47.25 | 06/18 |
| 5 | Maxime GROUSSET | FRA | 47.33 | 06/18 |
Also making some noise was Shona Branton of Canada as she struck gold in the women’s 100m breast.
The Western University ace put up a shiny new lifetime best en route to winning the event, clocking 1:06.59. That not only ripped her previous PB of 1:07.79 to shreds but it also overtook the meet record when all was said and done.
The former Euro Meet benchmark stood at the 1:06.95 Sweden’s Sophie Hansson put on the books last year.
A pair of Italians finished behind Branton, as Arianna Castiglioni logged 1:07.87 as runner-up and teammate Martina Carraro bagged bronze in 1:07.96.
Branton ranks just outside the top 10 performers in the world this season but her outing tonight renders her Canada’s 6th-fastest performer in history. She also established a 50m breast PB earlier in the competition.
Sweden’s Michelle Coleman topped the women’s 100m freestyle podium in one of two sub-55 second results of the pack.
Coleman turned in a time of 54.83, with Danish swimmer Elisabeth Sabro Ebbesen right behind in 54.98. rounding out the top 3 was Mary-Ambre Moluh of France who touched in 55.27.
30-year-old Coleman is coming off a successful 2023 European Short Course Championships. There in Romania, she won the individual 50m free while also helping her nation grab gold in the women’s 4x50m free and medley relays.
Additional Winners
- Germany’s Maya Warner completed her trifecta of victories, taking the women’s 400m free in 4:10.88. Warner already nabbed gold in the 200m and 800m free races here.
- The men’s 100m breast saw the same trio of Italians from the 50m sprint land on the podium once again. This time it was Olympan Federico Poggio who got it done for gold, touching in 1:00.69. Alessandro Pinuti was just .01 behind, settling for silver in 1:00.70 while Simone Cerasuolo earned bronze in 1:01.47.
- French swimmer Emma Terebo clocked a time of 2:09.09 to establish a new meet record en route to winning the women’s 200m back. She beat the field by over 3 seconds, overtaking Ukrainian Daryna Zevina‘s Euro Meet mark of 2:09.85 from 2020 in the process. This was a new PB for Terebo slicing .26 off her previous best-ever 2:09.35 from last year’s Sette Colli Trophy.
- 30-year-old veteran Velimir Stjepanovic topped the men’s 400m free field by over 6 seconds with a time of 3:53.35.
- Switzerland’s Gian-Luca Gartmann won the men’s 200m IM in 2:02.06 while Great Britain’s reigning European Junior gold medalist Leah Schlosshan got it done for gold on the women’s side in 2:14.42.
- Yohann Ndoye-Brouard produced yet another met record, reaching the wall in 1:58.03 to take the men’s 200m back. He shaved .01 off his own previous MR of 1:58.04 from 4 years ago.
One thing I noticed from the feed was that Popovic looked significantly bulkier than 2022 and 2023 (still very slim for a sprinter, relax guys). I think is definitely coming for the 100 crown but it’s going to be a war between him and a Pan with Chalmers in the mix.
I also loved seeing Ribeiro’s performance. He has a PB of 47.98 and I know he is a world medalist in the 50 Fly from last year but I think a final in the 100 free might be on the cards for him. He sure looked good and maybe he is poised for a big PB in Doha with something like a 47.6-47.7… we’ll see. I think think… Read more »
Well he is not 15 years old any more.
Yes but he was super skinny at SC Euros less than 2 months ago. I was actually a bit worried about him then, but maybe he had had a growth sport or something? (Can still happen at this age for me.)
I told y’all Popovici is back.
I realize the chances of this are very very slim but it’s possible that a 47.00 could miss the podium in Paris. If Popovici, Chalmers, Pan, and Dressel are all at peak form that would already be 4 people going 46 high (yes I realize Chalmers has never been 46 but he’s also never had a perfect meet). and if you throw in Alexy that’s 5 and if i dare go out on a limb and say Miressi, Ceccon, Grousset, and Richards and we could have the entire A final go 47.25 or faster. It’s incredible how stacked this event is internationally.
Of course, all of that happening at one meet is not likely, especially Dressel returning all the… Read more »
The entire A final is not going sub 47.25, let’s slow down here. All the stars would have to align for the entire final to go under 47.7
47.0 is not missing the podium either, that’s just an insane take
Improvement is non linear once you get into the 47s and below. Swimmers don’t always get faster. It is questionable if Dressel or Chalmers can ever go sub 47 or 47.0 again. Popovici has the youth and the stroke to do it. As does Pan Zhanle. Alexy is the only other swimmer I see dropping time in the big pool but he will have a dogfight with Chalmers and others for 3rd.
Popovici is a fascinating swimmer. His stock has taken a pretty big hit in the past year. After 2022, with double gold with a WR and a textile best, all at age 17, there were few if any more exciting swimmers. But having a down year last year, especially without any obvious injury issue, has made a lot of us question his ability to PB, despite the fact that very very few male non-distance swimmers peak at 17. In his case though, a PB is a world record or textile record, and nearly certain gold. So perhaps his stock should be a lot higher than it has been.
Also, while his best 200 time is much farther ahead of the… Read more »
I personally think everyone kinda overreacted. His performance in 2023 was unexpected, but he’s not any less talented than he was in 21-22, he just had some setbacks with training. Dude is still a teenager.
I think it was pretty clear that he focused more on academics in 2023, thus his drop in performance.
I am wondering if becoming the darling of a nation does not always take its toll on performance, even if the mind is strong, willing and mature beyond his years. This reminds me of the French swimmer, Laure Manaudou, who after a great 2004 Olympics (gold, silver and bronze over 400, 800 and 100 back) had a very downbeat 2005. She came back stronger than ever in 2006-2007. I believe that the Skinny Legend will follow the same path and surprise us again in 2024.
Down beat 2005? She was world champion…
She won the 400 on pure gut from lane 8, more than 1s slower than in Athens DNS 800, DNS 100 back. If not down on 2004, I do not know what it is.
Oh man she had such a terrible 2005…imagine being a world champion on Montreal.. and then being a european short course champion in the 100 back and 400 and 800 free with WORLD RECORD (400 and 800) and calling it a downbeat year? I would agree with you that her 2008 was totally end but her 2005 was an amazing year for sure
I believe Popovici has better mental strength than Laure.
Laure has *so much* talent, if she had Ledecky’s mental strength, she would have achieved so much more and not leaving 2008 Beijing medal-less and then retired a year later.
Agree. (Note that she unretired and swam also in London without much success. She was happy to be there)
I don’t believe so. Popovici is stoic and doesn’t crave publicity. He doesn’t use social media much. He is very disciplined and it is just a matter of where he puts that focus, whether on school or the pool or both.
I had in mind the transition from being a normal guy in the crowd (although a bit skinny) and someone that everybody recognizes which, I assume, is the case for him in Romania. Not that easy.
beast, 46.74 in Paris
DP washed
Sorry Swimswam, but you’re not gonna make the “Romanian Rail” stick. Please refer to his majesty as either Chlorine Daddy or Skinny Legend.
Romanian High Speed Rail!
Thank you, Mr Piano. It needed to be said.
“Romanian Rocket” would even be better…
But think he’s fine with Chlorine Daddy, and we are, too…. Anyone with insight on what his nickname is in Romanian media?
Nicknames about him are not often used in the Romanian press, usually it is just his name. When nicknames were used, they were: the rocket or the torpedo. There is also Dolphin, David’s nickname, which Romanians use the most on social networks.
Canada having multiple options now for breast is making their medley interesting.
They will probably have to leave someone behind with a performance that would be a shoe-in in years past