David Popovici Adds Third Title of Romanian Champs

David Popovici Adds Third Title of Romanian Champs with Victory in 100 Freestyle; Princeton’s Patrick Dinu Pops Career Best

World champion David Popovici added a 3rd title of the Romanian Championships to his assortment on Saturday when the 21-year-old star prevailed impressively within the 100-meter freestyle. Racing in Otopeni, Popovici registered a time of 47.52 and complemented earlier meet victories within the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle. He was adopted to the wall by Princeton standout Patrick Dinu, who checked in with a career-best time of 48.01.

Coming off a sub-47 break up throughout Friday relay motion, Popovici led your entire approach within the remaining of the 100 freestyle. Out in 22.92 for the primary lap, Popovici produced a 24.60 break up for his homecoming size. The effort is a optimistic signal for Popovici, as he confirmed stable pace throughout the entrance half of the race and can have better ending energy as soon as he’s rested for worldwide motion this summer time.

A number of months shy of the European Championships in Paris, Popovici appears well-positioned to make appreciable noise within the French capital. The Romanian has all the time excelled on the Euopean Champs, most notably with a then-world document of 46.86 within the 100 freestyle on the 2022 version of the competitors. That meet additionally noticed Popovici clock 1:42.97 within the 200 freestyle, a time that makes him the No. 3 performer in historical past.

For Dinu, the Ivy League champion within the 100-yard freestyle, his efficiency was an enormous step ahead. Dinu was out with Popovici, going 23.09 for the entrance half of the race. And whereas Popovici pulled away on the again finish, Dinu remained sturdy and closed in 24.92 to generate a private finest and land himself a berth to the European Champs.

Daria Silisteanu and Denis Popescu claimed victory within the 50 backstroke occasions. Silisteanu was the one lady to interrupt the 28-second barrier, doing so by the narrowest margins with a swim of 27.99. As for Popescu, he touched the wall in 25.41, which was good for a snug margin over runnerup Tudor Iordache (25.66.). The girls’s 100 breaststroke went to Daria Asaftei in 1:10.66 whereas Darius Coman rallied down the stretch to win the boys’s model of the occasion in 1:01.32, simply forward of the 1:01.42 by Danis Volontir.

Irina Preda was quickest within the girls’s 100 freestyle as her mark of 55.62 bettered the 55.96 of Andreea Comna.

Meet Results