David Popovici led almost the entire final at the distance of 200 meters freestyle of the World Championship in Fukuka (Japan), but our athlete gave way in the last meters and finished in 4th place, the situation is also commented by L’Equipe.

David Popovich will have to perform much better at his favorite distance, writes L’Equipe

“Favorite David Popovich crashed in the 200-meter freestyle final, Matthew Richards won.

The great favorite of the 200 m freestyle of Romania, David Popovici, crashed at the end of the race and did not make it to the podium of the world championship in Fukuoka (Japan).

David Popovici, the 100m and 200m freestyle world champion in Budapest in 2022, will not win the same double gold in Fukuoka, Japan. On Tuesday, the 18-year-old Romanian led the way in the 200m freestyle before giving way and finishing just short of the podium with a time slower than in the semi-final (1’44’90 compared to 1’44’70 in the semi-final).

100m world record holder David Popovici will have to do much better in his preferred distance, with qualifying starting on Wednesday.” writes L’Equipe.

30 meters before the finish line, David Popovichi was still first. However, a difficult period followed, and meter by meter our athlete lost in time to his main rivals.

According to the results of the race, the champion of 2022 took fourth place, sharply losing the podium.

For the Romanian swimmer, he will compete in the 100m freestyle in Fukuoka (heats and semi-finals on July 26, grand final on July 27).

200 m freestyle race of the Swimming Championship, final rating

1 Matthew Richards (Great Britain) 1:44.30 / gold

2 Tom Dean (Great Britain) 1:44.32 / silver

3 Sunwoo Hwang (South Korea) 1:44.42 / bronze

4 David Popovici (Romania) 1:44.90

5 Luke Robson (USA) 1:45.09

6 Hojun Lee (South Korea) 1:46.04

7 Kieran Smith (USA) 1:46.10

8 Felix Aubeck (Austria) 1:46.40

David Popovichi and 200 m freestyle from the Swimming Championships

July 24 / Evenings / 1:45:86

July 24 / Semifinals / 1:44.70

July 25 / Final / 1:44.90 / 4th place

David Popovici and the 100m freestyle from the Swimming Championships

July 26 / Evening / time 05:13

July 26 / Semi-final / 14:26 or 14:30

July 27 / Final / 14:21

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

David Popovici won two gold medals at the European Swimming Championships in Rome in August 2022, our athlete was unstoppable in the 100m freestyle and also in the 200m freestyle.

We will remind you that in June 2022, David Popovich made a double at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest, having won the 100 m freestyle and 200 m 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 one who ticks off this feat is called Jim Montgomery (USA – he is now 67 years old). That year, the competition was hosted by Belgrade.

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