​David Popovici qualified for the 400m freestyle final at the European Swimming Championships in Rome in his first career appearance. The swimmer will not take part in the grand final at this moment, but decided to come down.

David Popovici pulls out of 400m freestyle final at CE Natatie due to fatigue

As reported by gsp.ro, having received the fourth qualifying result in the final at the distance of 400 m freestyle, David decided to withdraw from the competition, citing accumulated fatigue as the reason. Popovici has competed a lot during this period, and the event in which he just qualified for the final is still grueling.

Camelia Potek, president of the Romanian Swimming Federation, confirms to TVR the refusal of David Popovic and clarifies that the decision belonged solely to the athlete and his coach Adrian Redulescu.

David Popovichi, two-time European champion in Rome

David Popovici won two gold medals at the European Swimming Championships in Rome, our athlete was unstoppable in the 100m freestyle and also in the 200m freestyle.

We will remind you that in June of this year, David Popovich made a double at the World Swimming Championships, winning the 100 and 200 meter freestyle.

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, highly rated coach of Michael Phelps – how he describes the Romanian champion

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