David Popovici posts fastest heat time (47.13s) to reach 100m freestyle semifinals at European Swimming Championships in Paris

Popovici dominates heats on championship debut

David Popovici made his first appearance at the European Swimming Championships in Paris on 11 August, swimming in the 10th and final heat of the 100m freestyle from lane 5. The 21-year-old, representing CS Dinamo, stopped the clock at 47.13 seconds, the fastest time across all 10 heats and a comfortable qualification for the semifinals. The top 16 times advanced to the evening's two semifinal races. Popovici swam alongside noted rivals including Britain's Matthew Richards and Croatia's Jere Hribar, taking control of the race early and never relinquishing it.

The competition field

Behind Popovici, the heat rankings featured Jere Hribar of Croatia in 47.80 seconds, Spaniard Luca Hoek le Guenedal in 47.90, Hungary's Kristof Milak in 47.92, and Russia's Egor Kornev in 47.97. Italian Carlos D'Ambrosio (48.02), Dutchman Sean Niewold (48.05), Hungarian Nandor Nemeth (48.11), German Josha Salchow (48.35) and Russian Aleksandr Shchegolev (48.36) rounded out the top ten. Kornev, described as the fastest sprinter of the season, is identified as Popovici's principal challenger, with France's Maxime Grousset and Britain's Matthew Richards also named among podium contenders.

Two-time defending champion chasing a third title

Popovici holds two consecutive European titles in the 100m freestyle, won in Roma in 2022 and Belgrad in 2024. He also holds the competition record of 46.86 seconds, set in Roma, which stood as the world record until 2024, when China's Pan Zhanle surpassed it. Popovici and Pan recently trained together during a camp in Bucharest. Unlike the 200m freestyle, where Popovici is considered without rival, the 100m field presents stiffer competition. He will also race the 200m freestyle later in the championship programme, which runs from 7 to 16 August.

Other Romanians in the pool

Two other Romanians entered the 100m freestyle but neither reached the semifinals. Patrick Sebastian Dinu, a 21-year-old from Princeton University, finished 27th overall in 48.83 seconds. Eric Ștefan Andrieș, 18, from CSM Constanța, placed 58th in 49.79 seconds after turning seventh at the halfway mark before producing a strong second 50 metres. In the same evening session, Vlad Mihalache of Steaua set a new national U19 record of 23.10 seconds in the 50m butterfly semifinal, finishing 13th overall and missing the medal race. Romania's delegation in Paris comprises 11 swimmers, and for the first time the country has representatives in all individual men's events. The championships bring together over 1,000 athletes from 52 countries.

What comes next

The two semifinals of the 100m freestyle are scheduled for Tuesday evening at 20:32 and 20:36 Romanian time. The top eight across both semifinal races will advance to the final on Wednesday evening. Coverage is broadcast live on TVR 1 and TVR Sport, with online streaming available on VOYO.