David Popovici returns to an international competition »The first sample at the European U23 championships is the 200 m free + who transmits the competition

• The European U23 championships from Samorin will be broadcast by TVR Sport, the morning session at 10:30, and the evening from 7:00 pm.

The period that comes after the Olympic games is always a complicated one for swimmers, whether they were successful or not at the competition that takes place every four years. The beginning of a new Olympic cycle brings new challenges in all aspects of a athlete's life.

One of them is the competitions, and for David Popovici follows the first international competition after the Paris Olympic Games, where he won the gold at 200 m free and the bronze at 100 m free. The Romanian resumed the preparations at the end of 2024, then in March he made an altitude canton in Turkey, and in April he participated in the National Championships in Otopeni.

Beyond winning the 50 -meter free and 200 m free samples, David showed a big swimming appetite, managing to descend for the first time below 22 seconds at 50 m free, then recorded a good time at 200 m free, and at 100 m free he managed a 47.30 in series. It was the 32nd time that Popovici descended under the terminal of the 48.00 seconds. Unfortunately, he gave up the final due to back problems.

Since then, David Popovici has not participated in any competition, training outdoors at the Lia Manoliu basin.

Since Thursday, he will be present at Samorin at the European U23 championships, a competition just good to test before participating in the Singapore World Championships (July 27- August 3), his fourth presence at the World Senior Face.

David Popovici in the 200 m free photo Imago Images

David Popovici arrived in Slovakia on Tuesday, and at Samorin he will start in four tests: 200 m free (Thursday), 50 m free (Friday), 100 m free and in that of Mixed 4×100 m free (Saturday).

It's a title that I'm missing, the European champion U 23 and it's a very good time to test me. It's a more serious workout. I hope to go back with gold. The main objective is to succeed in having as good or better performances, but to be more relaxed, not to be so obsessed with the process. I can be relaxed, I can do so, at least a bit – David Popovici

In addition to David Popovici, twelve swimmers in Romania will compete in Samorin, Vlad Stancu, who has passed from long free to mixed samples, Vlad Mihalache, European junior champion at 200 m butter, Patrick Dinu, Denis Popescu or Ștefan Cozma.

In the feminine, Romania will be represented by three swimmers, including Rebecca Diaconescu, participating in the Paris Olympic Games.

Romanian swimmers who will compete at the European U23 championships

• FEMALE

• Rebecca Diaconescu (19 years) – 200 m free, 400 m free, 800 m free, 1500 m free, mixed 4×100 m free

• Maysa Rațiu (21 years) – 100 m free, 200 m free

• Ioana-Maria Știrbu (18 years)-50 m free, 100 m free, 200 m free, mixed 4×100 m free

• MALE

• David Popovici (20 years) – 50 m free, 100 m free, 200 m free, mixed 4×100 m free

• Vlad Stancu (19 years) – 200 m mixed, 400 m mixed

• Vlad Mihalache (20 years) – 50 m butterfly, 100 m butterfly

• Denis Popescu (21 years) – 50 m back, 50 m butterfly, 100 m butterfly

• Patrick Dinu (20 years) – 50 m free, 100 m free, mixed 4×100 m free)

• Alexandru Constantinescu (19 years) – 50 m free, 100 m free, 200 m back

• Ștefan Cozma (20 years)- 100 m free, 200 m free, 200 m butterfly

• Cristian Lăpădat (20 years)- 50 m butterfly, 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly

• Mihai Gergely (22 years) – 100 m free, 200 m free

• Andrei Iaschiu (18 years) – 400 m free, 800 m free, 1500 m free

France, the most numerous delegation to CM U23

The European U23 championships will start swimming between 2022 and 2006. The competition will extend over three days, having series in the morning (10:30) and the finals in the evening (19:00).

The competition will take place outdoors on the basis of X-Bionic Sphere and 373 swimmers from 42 countries will participate in it. The most numerous delegations being those of France with 26 swimmers, Poland with 24, Germany with 23 and Great Britain 20.

X-Bionic Sphere, only 25 kilometers from Brastislava, is a world-class multidisciplinary base, within the center carrying out 26 Olympic sports disciplines, being the National Olympic Center of Slovakia. .

In practice, the base is divided into several spheres, such as the aquatic, athletic, team sports, struggles, gymnastics, strength and equestrian

Romanians' program on the first day at what u23

1. Morning-Set-10 session: 30

2. 200 m back (m) -Alexandru Constantinescu

3. 200 m free (m) – David Popovici, Stefan Cozma, Mihai Gergely

4. 200 m free (f) – Rebecca Diaconescu, Maysa Rațiu, Maria Știrbu

5. 100 m butterfly (M) – Cristian Lepădat, Stefan Mihalache, Denis Popescu

6. 800 m free (f) – Rebecca Diaconescu

7. 1500 m free (m) – Andrei Iaschiu