David Popovici Adds Third Title At Romanian Championships With 3:47.54 PB In 400 Free

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David Popovici: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

David Popovici Adds Third Title At Romanian Championships With 3:47.54 PB In 400 Free

David Popovici made his third trip to the top of the podium at the Romanian Championships with a 3:47.54 PB in the 400 free.

The 2022 world champion over 100 and 200 free had a previous best of 3:47.99 from the prelims at the 2022 European Championships in Rome although he didn’t appear in the final much to the disappointment of the Foro Italico crowd.

Vlad Stancu – the 2022 world and European junior 400 silver medallist – was fastest through the heats in 3:55.71, followed by Popovici in 3:57.09.

Come the final at the Otopeni Swimming Sports Complex and it was a different story.

Out in 25.33, Popovici reached 100m in 53.25 splitting 29s thereafter before a final 50 of 27.63 propelled him home 0.84 outside Dragos Coman’s Romanian record of 3:46.70 which has stood since the 2005 World Championships in Montreal.

It was his third title of the meet so far for Popovici following victories in the 50 and 200 free.

Stancu was 6.84secs adrift for second in 3:54.38 – outside the Paris A cut and over seven seconds off his PB of 3:47.17 – with Nandor Nagy third in 3:55.56.

The five-day event doubles as the Olympic trials with Popovici having already booked his ticket to Paris in the 100 and 200 free where he’ll compete in his second Games following his debut in Tokyo.

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