The great world champion in swimming, David Popovici, put on a show at the World Championships in Singapore, achieving a double victory, both in the 100 and 200 meters freestyle.
The 20-year-old athlete from CS Dinamo finished the 100-meter race in a time of 46.51 seconds, setting a new European record and a new competition record. He came within just 11 hundredths of the world record held by Zhanle Pan, a 46.40 achieved last year at the Paris Olympics.
Zhanle Pan finished the first semifinal with a time of 47.81 and only ranked tenth in the final standings, so he did not make it to the final. The Chinese press was impressed by David's performance, starting their analysis with a surprising question:
"Why is Pan Zhanle's rival so weak, the brilliant Romanian Popovici, one of the fastest swimmers in the world?" the Chinese from Sina titled, and then continued:
"At a height of 1.90 meters, David Popovici weighs less than 80 kilograms and seems unnaturally thin for a sprint event. This 20-year-old boy, who we wonder if he can do push-ups, is actually one of the fastest swimmers in the world at present.
This detail raises a very interesting question: what is the most suitable body type for swimming? The answer to this debate has been redefined by experts in today's swimming world. Unlike the traditional, robust physique, more and more top swimmers have an extremely slender physique.
Popovici's physical condition in childhood did not recommend him for performance, but his coach, Adrian Rădulescu, took him under his protective wing, noticing in the boy's eyes a unique talent. In the last century, an imposing physique with muscles was a basic requirement in swimming, especially in short events, but in recent years, being slender has become the new label for top athletes. Even Australian athletes, known for their tall stature, are increasingly leaning towards a slim constitution. The basic logic is that a too large physique increases resistance in water. Instead of spending more energy to combat resistance, it is better to actively reduce it."
Also in Singapore, Zhanle and Popovici met after a race in the heats, and took a photo exchanging their competition caps, a moment immortalized and posted on social media. World Aquatics shared the respective photo on Instagram, along with a message: "When world-class speed meets world-class sportsmanship. Pan Zhanle and David Popovici: respect beyond the pool!", wrote the international federation governing aquatic sports worldwide.
D.A.