World record holder Popovici looks to rebound from a shock fourth-place 200m free finish in his pet 100m event.
David Popovici will attempt to put a shock 200m result behind him when the men’s 100m freestyle swimming event begins at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, tomorrow (Wednesday 26 July).
The Romanian world record holder in the 100m was beaten out of the podium places in Tuesday’s 200m final as Great Britain’s Matt Richards and Tom Dean and Republic of Korea’s Hwang Sun-woo all finished ahead of him.
Popovici will face another stiff test in the shorter distance, even without the man who would be his biggest threat Caeleb Dressel, who did not qualify for Team USA. The Romanian may still only be 18, but a whole host of young pretenders to his crown – as well as the experience of Australian Kyle Chalmers – stand in his way.