David Popovici won, on Monday evening, the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, in the 200 m freestyle, with a time of 1:44:72.
After a race with a dramatic finish, he finished just two hundredths out of second place. He even ranked third halfway down.
The last 50 meters were simply overwhelming. David started in the last length from 2nd place, he swam incredible, amazing, synchronized. And at the end he stretched out his left arm and managed to become Olympic champion by 2 hundredths of a second: 1:44.72!
Popovici finished the race in one minute, 44 seconds and 72 hundredths. He was followed by the British Matthew Richardson (1:44:74) and the American Luke Hobson (1:44:79).
Popovici was second after the first pool length, was third after 100 meters, then went up two at 150 meters, managing to overtake the British Matthew Richards in the last meters of the race.
It is the first Olympic title in the career of Popovici, who will turn 20 on September 15.
What a comeback in the last 50m?. 19 year old David Popovici ?? clinches the well-deserved gold ?in Men's 200m Freestyle swimming at #ParisOlympics2024
Richards ?? ? and Hobson ?? ?#OlympicGames??? #paris2024olympics #Paris2024??? #OlympicGames??? #Olympic2024 pic.twitter.com/xLnA2zfCqC
— Sporty Bubu (@MrutyuM07) July 29, 2024
Popovici was the fastest both in the heats (1 min 45 sec 65/100) and in the semi-finals (1 min 44 sec 53/100).
The Romanian athlete, who brought Romania the first medal at the 2024 Olympic Games, will also perform in Paris in the 100 m freestyle, whose evenings are scheduled for Tuesday (12:15 p.m.), when the semifinals will also take place (9:30 p.m.).
The last Olympic medal of Romanian swimming dates back to 2004, when Camelia Potec took the gold in the 200 m freestyle in Athens, and Răzvan Florea the bronze in the 200 m backstroke.
David Popovici brought the 91st gold medal for Romania in the history of the Olympic Games.
“I’m happy because I fought until the end. It’s a big result, it’s a huge achievement. I will be happy after this success. First of all, it is a great achievement for me. I’m glad the country followed me. There were so many Romanians in the stands, my parents, and I’m happy that they also watched this race. I’m happy because we witnessed this success together”, said Popovici at the end, with his voice choked with emotion, for TVR Sport.
Popovici also apologized for his emotional state. “I am a boy who swims faster. I apologize for my emotions. I’m an ordinary boy who swims fast,” said the Olympic champion.
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