David Popovici<\/strong> continued his record-breaking bull run when he lowered the 200 free textile world mark to 1:42.97 at the European Championships<\/strong> in Rome.<\/p>\n The 17-year-old set a world record of 46.86<\/a> in the 100 free on Saturday to slice 0.05 from Cesar Cielo<\/strong>\u2019s mark of 46.91 that had stood since the height of the shiny-suit chaos that was the 2009 worlds.<\/p>\n The Romanian returned for the final of the 200 on Monday and sliced 0.17secs from the mark of 1:43.14 that had stood to Yannick Agnel<\/strong> since 2012 en-route to the Olympic title in London. It was also a world junior record.<\/p>\n Out under Paul Biedermann’s world-record pace in 24.10, Popovici split 50.35 (26.25)\/1:16.96 (26.61) before coming home in 26.01.<\/p>\n Only Biedermann with his shiny-suit WR of 1:42.00 at the Foro Italico and Michael Phelps<\/strong> with his 1:42.96 at Beijing 2008 have bettered the teenager’s time, the 28-time Olympic champion by just 0.01secs.<\/p>\n It means the teenager holds both the world and European 100 and 200 free double<\/a> and is among a troop of young European men also including Leon Marchand, Kristof Milak<\/strong> and Lorenzo Galossi<\/strong> among others who are threatening to take their events into new territories.<\/p>\n Antonio Djakovic<\/strong> of Switzerland was second in 1:45.60 with Austria’s Felix Auboeck third in 1:45.89.<\/strong><\/p>\n Draped in the Romania flag, Popovici made his way round the Foro Italico poolside following the medal ceremony.<\/p>\n Such was the demand for interviews, he responded to every TV crew and media outlet from all over the world.<\/p>\n Tired, he eventually was given a chair and conducted interviews from there, the young king on his throne albeit a white plastic one in the mixed zone.<\/p>\n He said there had been no specific time in mind and added:<\/p>\n “The only advice my coach gave me when I asked him about a race plan this afternoon \u2013 he said \u2018just do something crazy\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s crazy enough what I did.<\/p>\n \u201cI am satisfied \u2013 don\u2019t I look satisfied? I am very satisfied \u2013 we all are \u2013 it was a good race. I\u2019m happy with it.<\/p>\n “I was extremely tired. I\u2019ve had races in which I was a lot more tired than this one but this one really killed me a little, it was hard, it\u2019s not an easy thing to do.<\/p>\n “It put its toll on me, I guess that\u2019s the experience.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n