David Popovici
First man under 47 seconds in the 100 m freestyle, 46.86 in 2022
Overview
Popovici announced himself at Tokyo 2020 with a fourth place at 16, then won the 100 and 200 m freestyle at the 2022 world championships in Budapest. His 46.86 at the 2022 European championships in Rome was the first sub 47 second swim. He won the 200 m freestyle at Paris 2024 and carried freestyle sprinting into a new generation.
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