{"id":588337,"date":"2024-06-18T01:46:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T08:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=588337"},"modified":"2024-06-18T03:26:16","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T10:26:16","slug":"european-championships-david-popovici-fires-off-47-90-100-free-prelim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/european-championships-david-popovici-fires-off-47-90-100-free-prelim\/","title":{"rendered":"European Championships: David Popovici Fires Off 47.90 100 Free Prelim"},"content":{"rendered":"

European Championships: David Popovici Fires Off 47.90 100 Free Prelim<\/h4>\n

David Popovici<\/strong> posted 47.90 in the 100 free prelims on day two of the pool programme at the European Aquatics Championships Belgrade 2024.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old set a WR of 46.86 at the last continental championships in Rome in 2022 as he brought the Foro Italico – and the wider swimming world – to its feet.<\/p>\n

Pan Zhanle<\/strong> subsequently lowered Popovici’s standard when he led off the China 4×100 free relay in 46.80 at Doha 2024 as the quartet claimed the world title.<\/p>\n

Popovici took to the outdoor pool at the Sports and Recreational Center Milan Gale Mu\u0161katirovi\u0107<\/strong> with the Serbian sun beating down on the swimmers, the pool announcer saying: “It’s showtime now…..and they don’t come much bigger”.<\/p>\n

Swimming in the eighth of nine heats, he split 23.27\/24.63 to become the only man to go inside 48.<\/p>\n

\"POPOVICI

David Popovici: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n

Following his swim, the 2022 world and European double champion went to join Kristof Milak<\/strong>, who won silver in 47.47 in Rome.<\/p>\n

In the shade of the mixed zone, and asked about a 47 prelim, Popovici told Swimming World: “I like it. I planned it.”<\/p>\n

Among those joining Popovici in Tuesday evening’s semis will be Serbia’s Andrej Barna<\/strong> (48.14), Hungarian duo Nandor Nemeth<\/strong> (48.40) and Milak (48.41), Poland’s Kamil Sieradzki<\/strong> (48.54) while Ralph Daleiden of Luxembourg lowered his national record to 48.68, slicing 0.09 from the 48.77 he’d gone at the Fukuoka worlds.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Anastasia Gorbenko<\/strong> kept her bull run of Israeli records going in the 100m breaststroke<\/strong>, lowering her previous standard to 1:06.1.<\/p>\n

Eneli Jefimova<\/strong> of Estonia was next through in 1:06.67, the pair the only women to break 1:07.<\/p>\n

Olympic bronze medallist Mykhailo Romanchuk<\/strong> was the only man inside 7:50 as he headed the 800 free heats.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian clocked 7:48.22 to progress to the final as top seed ahead of Hungarian Zalan Sarkany<\/strong> in 7:50.36, Dimitrios Markos<\/strong> of Greece (7:50.38), Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski<\/strong> (7:50.51) and all inside the QT for Paris.<\/p>\n

Kuzey Tuncelli<\/strong> – the Turkish world junior champion – progressed in 7:53.92 and Nathan Wiffen<\/strong> of Swim Ireland hit a PB of 7:54.60 with Muhammad Yusuf Ozden<\/strong> (7:55.36) and Henrik Christiansen<\/strong> (7:55.62) securing the two outside lanes.<\/p>\n

\"Anastasia

Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n

Roman Mityukov<\/strong> of Switzerland posted the top time of 1:57.19 in the men’s 200 back ahead of Israel’s David Gerchik<\/strong> (1:57.48), Sara Junevik<\/strong> of Sweden headed the women’s 50 fly prelims in 26.01 while Poland<\/strong> set the pace in the mixed medley relay in 3:48.90 with hosts Serbia<\/strong> the quartet locked out in ninth.<\/p>\n