European Junior Swimming Championships : Romania, 3rd place in the medal ranking. David Popovici, the best swimmer for juniors

The Romanian delegation, with nine medals, of which five gold and four silver, finished third in the medal standings of the European Swimming Championships in Otopeni, after obtaining a gold one on the last day through David Popovici (100 m free) and a silver one by Vlad Stancu (400 m free).

With five medals, including four gold, David Popovici was named the best athlete of the competition, while for Vlad Stancu, with four medals, two gold and two silver, this championship meant confirmation of the huge progress that he did it in one year.

In the final medal standings, Hungary took first place with 14 medals (6-5-3), followed by Poland 16 (5-4-7), Romania 9 (5-4-0), France 13 (4-6 -3), Italy 14 (4-5-5), Turkey 9 (4-2-3), Estonia 3 (3-0-0), Great Britain 11 (2-4-5), Ukraine 6 (2- 3-1), Bosnia 3 (2-1-0), Belgium 5 (1-2-2), Denmark 3 (1-2-0). 25 countries, out of the 42 participants, won at least one medal in Otopeni.

The Romanian delegation won nine medals at the EC swimming for juniors from Otopeni: 5 gold – men’s relay 4×100 m freestyle (David Popovici, Vlad Stancu, Ştefan Cozma and Patrick Sebastian Dinu), David Popovici in the 200 m freestyle, 50 m freestyle and 100 m freestyle, Vlad Ştefan Stancu at 1,500 m freestyle, and 4 silver – mixed relay 4×100 m freestyle (David Popovici, Patrick Sebastian Dinu, Bianca Costea and Rebecca Aimee Diaconescu), Bianca Costea at 50 m freestyle and Vlad Stancu at 800 m free and 400 m free.

David Popovici, the best swimmer 

David Popovici (Romania) and Mary Ambree Moluh (France) were named the best athletes at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, based on a score based on the best performances in the competition. David Popovici took first place with 951 points in this ranking and was followed by the Polish Ksawery Masiuk (941) and the Italian Lorenzo Galossi (897). The Romanian champion, already double world champion in seniors in 100 m and 200 m, titles obtained two weeks ago in Budapest, won in Otopeni five medals, four gold, in 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle, 4×100 m freestyle relay and a silver 4×100 m freestyle.