DAVID Popovici is ready for a well-earned beach holiday after completing a sprint double at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. The 20-year-old Romanian secured gold in the 100m freestyle with a championship-record time of 46.51 seconds, adding to his 200m freestyle victory earlier in the week.
Popovici outpaced American Jack Alexy (46.92) and Australia’s Kyle Chalmers (47.17) in a highly anticipated showdown. Despite his dominance, he admitted struggling with self-doubt before the competition. “I’ve been thinking about the Olympics every day since I was 10, no exaggeration,“ he said. “But once I did that, I came to the realisation that nothing changes, my life doesn’t change.”
Now, the double world champion and Olympic gold medallist is looking forward to relaxation. “Have a great big holiday on the beach, lying on my back, drinking whatever I want to drink,“ Popovici said. “Just enjoying life a little. And driving my fast car on some really nice, picturesque roads.”
The final lacked world record holder Pan Zhanle, who failed to qualify after finishing 10th in the semifinals. The Chinese swimmer admitted he “wasn’t in good shape” following an early exit in the 200m freestyle. – AFP
