David Popovici prescribes to a well-known theory, “a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer” and the Paris 2024 freestyle champion is not only quicker than most, but also – after openly admitting to struggles with post-Olympic ‘blues’– now also more “content” than most too.
David Popovici 100m and 200m rivals will clearly acknowledge his medals and in particular the astounding unrested world-leading time of 46.71 seconds, which saw him win a maiden his European U23 100m freestyle crown last month. They will likely also take note his mindset
“I would say that it was pretty fast, but I wouldn’t say it was unexpected as I’ve been feeling well,” he said after the race. “If I’m calm and relaxed enough and everything is good in my personal life then I can focus on what I love most.”
The direct, calm and measured statements about his positive mental state will be almost eerily familiar to those who heard him speak during his breakthrough season in 2022, when he claimed a 100 / 200m freestyle World championship double, before breaking the 100m free world record at the Europeans.
The now 20-year-old Romanian of course possesses more experience three years on and can draw confidence from a now proven ability to perform on the very highest stage, at Paris 2024, but he has also shown remarkable resilience after post-Games struggles.
“The ‘post-Olympic blues’ are real and people don’t talk enough about them,” Popovici tells World Aquatics. “Everyone talks about the glory, the fame, money and recognition that comes with it (Olympic gold), but no one talks about how empty you feel after achieving everything you’d ever dreamed of.
“After a challenging period, I put my life in order, slowed things down a little and realised that swimming isn’t everything, which actually really helps me focus on the craft of swimming and becoming way, way better as I’m focused.”
Right now, on the eve of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore Popovici is in formidable form in and out of the water.
Paris 2024 Pressure The “Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done, But Worth It”
Anticipation of Romania having a first-ever male Olympic champion in swimming only built after his spectacular 2022 season and while struggles in 2023 lowered the “pressure” he was experiencing, that soon ramped up as his form improved early in 2024.
Popovici saw his 100m freestyle record broken by Pan Zhanle at Doha 2024, who shaved six one hundredths off the time, 46.86 seconds, the Romanian set at Roma 2022. However, he held the world-lead in the 200m free heading into the Games.
“It wasn't easy,” says Popovici, in reference to the expectation of people in his homeland.
“It was actually the hardest thing I've ever done and if I’m being totally honest with you, it was horrible and I was fooling myself thinking that I’m fine.
“It's pretty toxic to be obsessed every day and to constantly think of it (winning at the Olympics) in every moment of your life up until then, but it fulfils me to know I did everything in my power to achieve it.”
He topped the standings after the 200m freestyle heats (1:45.65) and semi-finals (1:44.53), before edging a tight final by just 0.02 seconds (1:44.72) from Great Britain’s Matt Richards.
“The moment I knew I was the Olympic gold medallist came before I looked up at the scoreboard because the blocks light up once, or twice if you’re second and three-times if you’re third, so I checked and then checked again, before a wave of relief just hit me,” he says.
“It was such a big boulder off my shoulders and probably the happiest singular moment of my life and while all medals are special, the Olympic ones are particularly shiny.
“My only regret, I didn’t cry. You can see in my interviews and during the ceremony I am trying to action ‘like a man’ and hold back the tears, but hopefully if I get the chance again, I’ll cry.”
Popovici finished his Olympic programme with bronze in the 100m freestyle, which was won by Pan Zhanle, who knocked a further four tenths of a second off his previous best mark. His time of 46.40 all the more impressive given the Paris 2024 pool was widely seen as “slow.”
The Romanian was though more than happy with his efforts.
‘Olympic Blues’ After The Paris Podium Party
Popovici thought a “very nice, very exotic” holiday with his partner would be the perfect rewards, but soon discovered his mind was “elsewhere.”
“I was in Indonesia at a really nice resort and everything was beautiful, but I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t relaxed,” he recalls.
“I was very tense and decided to leave the beautiful vacation early because I wanted to sleep in my bed, I wanted to eat my sandwiches and be normal for a second.
“I went from the most stressful period of my life to the more relaxing and I just needed to breathe it in a little and take a step back.”
A period of rest and rehabilitation at home helped Popovici rediscover “balance” but also gain perspective about his journey over the last three years in particular.
“The response (to success in 2022 and the attention it brought) caught me off guard,” admits the Olympic champion. “Now, surely does help that I've achieved everything I ever wanted to achieve, but I feel more relaxed and happy in my life and in the water.
“I realise though that I have to try harder myself to be more vulnerable, be more open, because I also think it could help other people, as well as athletes especially, who are going through this type of process.”
‘Relishing Pressure’ Ahead of Singapore 2025
Having recorded the fastest times in the world this year over the 100m and 200m freestyle events Popovici will be among the favourites for a further two World Championship gold medals, as he achieved in 2022, come the start of the pool programme at Singapore 2025.
“I have the world leads in both of my events, which is a unique pressure its own, but I’ve had that before and I’ll try to be as relaxed as possible, but I do enjoy a bit of pressure,” says the swimmer, who is anticipating many questions about the possibility of reclaiming the 100m world record.
“I absolutely think it's possible (to break the existing record), the same way it was possible for Pan (Zhanle) to break it, the same way it was possible for me three years ago to break it.
“Records are meant to be broken, and so I'm slowly, slowly but surely getting my way there.”