Romanian athlete David Popovici was named the best male swimmer of 2022 in the world by the specialized magazine Swimswam.com.
Last year, David Popovici won the 100 and 200 free at every major long course international meet that he competed, the World Championships, the European Championships, the World Junior Championships, and the European Championships.
In 2021, David Popovici clocked a 47.30 world junior record in the 100 free, getting just 0.02 seconds away from an Olympic medal in the 200 free. In 2022, he got 46.86 in the 100 free and 1:42.97 in the 200 free.
The peak of Popovici’s year came at the 2022 European Championships. He first took down Cesar Cielo‘s world record time of 46.91 in the 100 free, going 46.86.
Then ”he swam a 1:42.97 in the 200 free, becoming the third male to break 1:43 behind Paul Biedermann and Michael Phelps and the first to do so in a textile suit“, Swim Swam notes.
