On Saturday, David Popovici set a new world record at the distance of 100 m freestyle (at the European Championship in Rome), and coach Adrian Redulescu gave an interview to AFP in which he spoke about the beginning of cooperation with the young swimmer.

Adrian Redulescu and his first meeting with David Popovici – When he saw his potential

“David came to our club when he was nine years old. He was not the easiest to train, he, like all children, was mainly looking for entertainment. But he had something special, he was very competitive.

No (I saw the potential right away). We had many talented swimmers. Some were focused on training, others on entertainment. It took time to see that he could focus on training and progress. He was probably 10-11 years old when he understood what it was about.

I was at the camp, he was probably ten years old, we arranged a competition with swimmers of the same age. Twenty-five meters to swim and the last one was eliminated. Two guys were better than him, I started the game. Each time David finished next to last. In front, they wanted to show that they were well done, and they were tired. In the final, the latter did not have enough strength and David won. So at the age of 10, he already had intelligence and talent” – Adrian Radulescu.

What makes David Popovich so special?

“He is ready to listen. But he needs information, arguments. This means that over time he has acquired a lot of knowledge about swimming. He was ready to understand swimming from the very beginning.

He is also ready to make the necessary sacrifices of any professional athlete. Plan walks, vacations, family, always keeping in mind the competition schedule.

When he goes out, he always comes back first (…) He also sets personal goals, but also thinks about other, bigger ones. It’s not just about winning medals, it’s about being an inspiration to other swimmers.

Yes, it’s incredible that it’s happening so quickly (at only 17 years old)” – Adrian Radulescu.

How he adapted the technique to the very subtle morphology of David Popovich

“David has a keen sense of the water. This is my discussion with the video analyst: the question is not the power we can generate, but how we feed it into the speed we develop. So, yes, it is very smooth, but has enough strength to float at higher speeds.

If he was stronger, I don’t know if he could swim faster. Probably. But his technique and the way he feels the water must be adapted. In September, he will turn 18, his body will grow, he will become a man. Finding the right path, striking the right balance between power and efficiency, is a challenge. We’ll see in the next five to six years” – Adrian Radulescu.

David Popovich and the trust he has in his staff

“(Relationships) are not always the same. Sometimes the teacher should be in front, sometimes behind, sometimes next to him. Sometimes I have to listen more to what he says, what he thinks. Sometimes it’s the other way around, he’s forced to listen to my ideas. This is not an authoritarian approach, but rather a friendly learning relationship. He also has to admit that he is not always right. This is important for the athlete’s confidence. Honesty is the basis of trust” – Adrian Radulescu.

David Popovich’s life changed after he completed the double in the 100-200 meters at the World Championships in Budapest

“It’s actually a huge increase in his popularity. Everyone recognizes him on the street. And there are very emotional moments, as it was on Tuesday when we arrived. Workers were working on the roof above the tribune. Everyone was silent for a moment, and one of the boys said, “It’s David! This is David! Please win a medal. We want to be there when you win it.” They were Romanians. Such meetings are the most important” – Adrian Radulescu.

David Popovici, world record 100m freestyle – He won European gold in Rome

David Popovici won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the European Swimming Middleweight Championships in Rome. In this race, the Romanian also set a new world record (46.86).

The Romanian swimmer was followed by Christoph Milak (47.47) and Alessandro Miressi (47.63).

Romania is represented at the European Championship (August 11-21) by a delegation of 11 athletes led by two-time world champion David Popovici. Romanian athletes compete in swimming, diving and high jumping.