{"id":481307,"date":"2021-07-12T08:18:55","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T15:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=481307"},"modified":"2021-07-12T08:18:55","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T15:18:55","slug":"the-week-that-was-david-popovici-puts-sprinting-world-on-notice-tokyo-to-go-on-with-no-spectators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/the-week-that-was-david-popovici-puts-sprinting-world-on-notice-tokyo-to-go-on-with-no-spectators\/","title":{"rendered":"The Week That Was: David Popovici Puts Sprinting World on Notice; Tokyo to Go On With No Spectators"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.<\/em><\/p>\n

With less than two weeks until the start of the Olympic Games, Romania’s\u00a0David Popovici\u00a0<\/strong>has put the world on notice, blasting the top time in the world in the 100 freestyle at just 16 years of age at the European Juniors. Popovici may have catapulted himself to medal favorite come Tokyo if he is to handle the nerves that come with the Olympic Games, although spectators will not be allowed in Tokyo, as recently announced this past week.<\/p>\n

Read the five biggest stories of the week in The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.<\/p>\n

The Week That Was #1: Tokyo Olympics to Go On With No Spectators<\/h3>\n

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By Andy Ross<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The Tokyo Olympics will be held with no spectators for the duration of the 16-day event. Olympic Minister\u00a0Tamayo Marukawa<\/strong>\u00a0has confirmed that fans will be banned from all Olympic venues in response to the new coronavirus state of emergency, according to a report from\u00a0Inside The Games<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Venues were originally going to be\u00a0closed to international spectators<\/a>, with Japanese citizens allowed to fill each stadium to 50% capacity. But that ruling was under the assumption that the COVID-19 pandemic would be under control in Japan. The country is currently under its latest \u201cstate of emergency,\u201d meaning that Prime Minister\u00a0Yoshihide Suga<\/strong>\u00a0will keep the city under its toughest COVID restrictions through August 12, which is a little less than a week after the conclusion of the Games. This will be the country\u2019s fourth state of emergency.<\/p>\n

#2: David Popovici Rockets to 47.30 in 100 Free at European Juniors<\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n

By David Rieder<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The week of\u00a0David Popovici<\/strong>\u00a0continues at the European Junior Championships in Rome. Competing in the Foro Italico that hosted the 1994 and 2009 World Championships, the 16-year-old from Romania won the men\u2019s 100 free in 47.30, which knocked a quarter-second off\u00a0his own world junior record of 47.56 set two days earlier<\/a>\u00a0as the leadoff leg on his country\u2019s 400 free relay. That performance made Popovici the fastest man in the world for 2021, surpassing the 47.31 that Russia\u2019s\u00a0Kliment Kolesnikov<\/strong>\u00a0swam to win the event at the European Championships in May. Popovici himself was sixth in that race in 48.08, so he has improved his lifetime best by almost eight tenths in two months.<\/p>\n

The rest of the global top five includes world champion\u00a0Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>, Italy\u2019s\u00a0Alessandro Miressi<\/strong>\u00a0and defending Olympic gold medalist\u00a0Kyle Chalmers<\/strong>, so that\u2019s an elite group Popovici now sits ahead of just three weeks before the 100 free Olympic final.\u00a0He has quickly jumped into contention for an Olympic medal<\/a>\u00a0that absolutely no one saw coming even a week ago, and he could post another impressive mark in the 200 free in the coming days.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am excited because of today\u2019s result,\u201d Popovici said, per\u00a0LEN<\/a>. \u201cI knew I was able to swim a time like this. This also confirms that I am training well for Tokyo. I am not going to stop here. I am aiming for the Olympic podium. I am glad that my parents were here tonight and could see my swim. It is important to me to receive the support of my family before and after the races.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Week That Was #3: Cate Campbell Selected as Flag Bearer For Australia in Opening Ceremony<\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr<\/p><\/div>\n

By Ian Hanson<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Cate Campbell,\u00a0<\/strong>who has been very much the leading lady of Australia swimming over the past decade, will now become one of the leaders of the country\u2019s Olympic team, named tonight to share the Flag Bearing duties at the 2020\u00a0Tokyo Games<\/a>, with another four\u2014time Olympian, inspiring indigenous basketball star\u00a0Patty Mills.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The four-time Olympic swimmer received the news as she sat amongst the 35-strong swim team, gathered in their blazers inside their pre-Games training camp in Cairns \u2013 greeting the decision with tumultuous cheering.<\/p>\n

While Campbell was in the same Australian time zone when the news was announced by Team Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman and beamed live around the country on Olympic Network, Channel 7 \u2013 NBL star Mills was joined by his Boomers team mates at 2am in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

And waiting in the wings to present Campbell the Aussie flag was swimming\u2019s Olympic icon, four-time gold medallist\u00a0Dawn Fraser<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 who carried the flag in the closing ceremony the last time Tokyo hosted the Games in 1964.<\/p>\n

Campbell, at 28, who like Mills, started her Olympic career in Beijing in 2008, is the first female swimmer and the third swimmer to carry the flag, joining Olympic gold medallist\u00a0Andrew \u201cBoy\u201d Charlton<\/strong>\u00a0in 1932 in Los Angeles and\u00a0Max Metzker<\/strong>\u00a0who along with track star\u00a0Denise Robertson-Boyd,<\/strong>\u00a0shared the duties in Moscow in 1980 \u2013 carrying not the Australian flag but the Olympic flag.<\/p>\n

#4: FINA Confirms Altered IOC Rule 50 as Protest, Expression, Restrictions Eased For Olympics<\/h3>\n
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Mack Horton protests Sun Yang’s Gold Medal in the 400m free at 2019 World titles in Gwanju, South Korea – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr\/Swimming Australia<\/p><\/div>\n

By Dan D’Addona<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

One of the most talked about and controversial storylines heading into the Olympics in Tokyo has been the stance on athlete self-expression and social protest. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has altered its Rule 50 with updated guidelines, endorsed by FINA, that ease some of the restrictions.<\/p>\n

Under\u00a0Rule 50 new guidance<\/a>\u00a0athletes will be able to express their views on the field of play before competition so long is it is not targeted against people, not disruptive and not otherwise prohibited by national Olympic committees or international federations.<\/p>\n

Expressions and protests during competition, in the Olympic village and during ceremonies \u2014 including medal, opening and closing ceremonies \u2014 remain against\u00a0Rule 50<\/a>\u00a0baring \u201cpolitical, religious or racial propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following discussions with the IOC, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) has confirmed a wide range of opportunities for athlete self-expression at the aquatics competitions of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. These opportunities for athletes to express their views will include:<\/p>\n