David Popovici breaks the world record in the 100m freestyle and Cesar Cielo Filho (former world record holder) talks about the moment he realized his best was broken. The former Brazilian swimmer also says it is “terrifying” for world swimming how much the Romanian kid, who is just 17, can improve.

Cielo Filho on David Popovich’s world record: I knew this day would come, but I didn’t expect it from him

In 2009 in Rome, Cielo Filho managed to become the fastest swimmer in the world at a distance of 100 meters freestyle. He raised the bar in an incredible time: 46.91.

For 13 years, the world’s best swimmers approached the Brazilian’s record, but no one managed to topple Cielo.

Until the European Championships this summer, when David Popovici managed to set the best world result in history in the 100 m freestyle: 46.86.

Cielo Filho talks at length about the moment he found out he was outmatched, saying he wasn’t necessarily happy, but he wasn’t sad either.

“It was not the first race and I thought there was a chance to break the record. This record has been on the radar of many athletes, the most recent example being Caleb Dressel at the 2020 Olympics (which took place in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

To be honest, I didn’t expect this record to be broken at the European Championship, I thought it would be at the World Cup or the Olympics.

Honestly, this is my opinion: Caleb Dressel would have a great chance to break the record at the 2020 Olympics if not for Covid-19. In fact, I really think it would knock him off his feet. The pandemic gave me a little more time to breathe (just kidding).

I thought that Popovici would be at the highest level at the World Cup (a competition that took place a few weeks ago in Budapest).

I didn’t watch the race, but I can’t say I was excited when I saw the results, but I wasn’t necessarily sad either. Oooh, he broke my record, was my instant reaction.

It’s not as bad a feeling as when someone beats you one-on-one and you see them win a gold medal, it’s something completely different. Just so you understand, you don’t necessarily feel that someone outright beat you.

I remember the day I broke the world record, I was happy.

I was delighted that such a young and talented athlete (No. David Popovichi), i.e. a completely different model of swimmer, is renewing the world record” – Cesar Augusto Cielo Filho.

The competition is not at all happy with David Popovich’s record: a 17-year-old kid came and stole the record from under their noses

“I don’t think all these people (swimmers who tried to break the record) are happy to see a 17-year-old actually break the record after they tried so hard to do it.

It’s crazy and awesome at the same time. It will be interesting to see how events will develop over the next two or three years, great battles await swimming fans” – Cielo Filhoon the SwimSwam podcast.

David Popovich scares competitors: It’s scary how much he can improve

Continuing the discussion about the sensational David Popovici, the Brazilian says that he studied the style of the Romanian swimmer and he is “terrified” to improve a lot, which is a real “danger” to the world records in swimming.

“The scariest thing is that David has so much room for improvement, it’s really crazy.

I think in the future it can create a lot more power and more explosion at the start. He will probably work more in the gym, he is only 17 years old, let’s not forget that very important aspect.

It will get stronger, the body will undergo certain transformations with age in the next two or three years. It is clear that he gains some time from the start and until certain moments in the race. It is incredible to watch him swim, it feels like he is not resisted by the water, everything flows naturally.

And I know so well how hard it is and how much work needs to be done to make everything look easy from the outside.

Again, it will be very interesting to see how much more power he gains in the coming years to give us an idea of ​​what he can achieve.” – Cesar Cielo Filho.

Photo credit: Osama Faisal/AP/Profimedia

Sensational David Popovich and doping allegations – how the two-time world and European champion comments on this sensitive topic

Know:

• From August 30 to September 4, David Popovici will compete in the World Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, Peru.

The best results in history at the distance of 100 meters freestyle

1. David Popovich – 46.86 (Rome, 2022)

2. Cesar Cielo Filho – 46.91 (Rome, 2009)

3. Alain Bernard – 46.94 (Montpellier, 2009 – his time was not recognized as a European record)

4. Caleb Dressel – 46.96 (Gwangju, 2019)

5. David Popovich – 46.98 (Rome, 2022)

6. Cameron McAvoy – 47.04 (Adelaide, 2016)

7. Eamon Sullivan – 47.05 (Beijing, 2008)

8. Kyle Chalmers – 47.08 (Tokyo, 2021)

9. James Magnussen – 47.10 (Adelaide, 2012)

10. Kliment Kolesnikov – 47.11 (Tokyo, 2021)

David Popovici, two-time European and world champion in the summer of 2022

David Popovichi won two gold medals at the European Swimming Championships in Rome, and our athlete was unstoppable in the queen’s distance in the 100 m freestyleand also in the fact that 200 m free.

We will remind you that in June of this year David Popovich made a double at the World Swimming Championships, he managed to prove himself in100 andtwo hundred m for free

During the entire World Swimming Championships, only one athlete managed to win the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events from the same edition.

It happened 49 years ago, and the person celebrating this feat is called Jim Montgomery (USA – he is now 67 years old). That year, the competition was hosted by Belgrade.

Read also:

• David Popovich vs Usain Bolt: 100m Freestyle World Record 2022 Sports Achievement

• David Popovici praised by Michael Phelps’ trainer – How he describes the Romanian champion

• David Popovich wants to win it all in 2022 – Kamelia Potek talks about the fastest swimmer in the world​