David Popovici celebrates 22nd birthday following historic swimming achievements

Romanian swimmer David Popovici celebrates his 22nd birthday following a career that has redefined international swimming. Under the guidance of coach Adrian Rădulescu at Aqua Team București, Popovici has secured four senior world titles and six European gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter freestyle events.

His achievements include Olympic success in Paris and a recent performance in Singapore, where he set a new European record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 46.51 seconds. Popovici is noted for being the first swimmer to achieve a continental double in the 100–200 meter freestyle across three consecutive editions: Rome 2022, Belgrade 2024, and Paris 2026.

Despite his success, Popovici has used his platform to call for greater state responsibility toward athletes. He noted that while he has been fortunate with sponsors, many talented Romanian athletes lack the necessary conditions to succeed.