David Popovici

David Popovici (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdavid po'povit͡ʃʲ]; born 15 September 2004) is a Romanian competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle events and is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200-metre event, having won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He is the current holder of the European record and the junior world record, as well as the former holder of the world record in the long course 100-metre freestyle. He is also the holder of the current junior world record in the short course 100-metre freestyle event and in the long course 200-metre freestyle event. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Popovici won gold medals in his two signature events (Men's 100-metre freestyle and Men's 200-metre freestyle), becoming the first swimmer to do so at the same edition of the World Championships, since Jim Montgomery in 1973. Following his performances during the 2022 long course season, in which he won eleven gold medals and two silver medals, Popovici was voted Male Swimmer of the Year by both SwimSwam and Swimming World Magazine. He was also named the BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year of 2022. During that summer, he established an unprecedented level of dominance, especially in the long course 100-metre freestyle, recording 13 of the 19-fastest swims in the world in 2022, while also becoming only the third swimmer in history to set an under 1:43 time in the long course 200-metre freestyle. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he placed third in the 100-metre freestyle, earning the bronze medal, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Australia's Kyle Chalmers.