Romanian swimmer David Popovici breaks 20-year record at Barcelona competition
<p>Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 200m freestyle event at the recent Mare Nostrum meet in Barcelona, with a time of 1 minute 44.74 seconds. He set a new competition record, which had stood for nearly 20 years.</p>
<p>The former Mare Nostrum circuit record for the 200m freestyle was held by German Paul Biedermann, with a time of 1 minute 44.88 seconds, set on June 13, 2005 (in Monaco), according to <a href="https://www.agerpres.ro/sport-extern/2024/05/29/inot-victorie-pentru-david-popovici-la-200-m-liber-in-reuniunea-mare-nostrum-de-la-barcelona--1303387">Agerpres</a>.</p>
<p>In the final, David Popovici surpassed South Korean Sunwoo Hwang, who finished with a time of 1 minute 45.68 seconds, and Japanese swimmer Katsuhiro Matsumoto, who finished with a time of 1 minute 46.09 seconds, Agerpres reported.</p>
<p>The Romanian swimmer qualified for the final with only the fifth-fastest time in the heats, 1 minute 48.16 seconds, the fastest being Hwang with 1 minute 47.31 seconds.</p>
<p>Also in Barcelona, swimmer Daria-Măriuca Silișteanu finished 14th in the 50m backstroke (sixth place in Final B) with a time of 29.44 seconds. In the heats, Silișteanu was 16th (29.66 seconds). In the 50m freestyle, another swimmer, Patrick-Sebastian Dinu, was 47th in the heats (23.45 seconds).</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: David Popovici on Facebook)</em></p>