"David Popovici, thank you." The great rival, the Chinese Pan Zhanle, bowing in front of the Romanian

“David Popovici, thank you.” The great rival, the Chinese Pan Zhanle, bowing in front of the Romanian

Pan Zhanle made a weak World Championship on the individual and 200 m free, but became free in the free 4×200, with which he conquered silver in Singapore. The Olympic champion, holder of the world record per hundred meters (46.40) was taken to question in the native country, and the 20 -year -old athlete was grateful to David Popovici for the encourages transmitted.

Pan Zhanle and David Popovici, Note 10 champions. Photo World Aquatics

In an interview with the chapter race, Pan Zhanle spoke about the encouragement received from the Romanian swimmer, expressing the hope that he will be at another next time when he will meet the other “titan” of the world sprint. “I am grateful to my extraordinary teammates for led me and I hope I can return to my best form. I thank David Popovici for encouragement, I can hardly wait to face him next time.”said Pan Zhanle, quoted by Sohu.

There is not only a sports rivalry between the two, but also respect and friendship. Our athlete, the holder of the second time in history at 100 m free (46.51, made in Singapore), spoke superlatively about Pan Zhanle, revealing that the Chinese athlete was a model for him. Previously, the two had changed headphones on the edge of the training basin, and even David took an autograph on the competition card. Popovici encouraged his great rival, transmitting that all the great champions go through difficult times and expressed his confidence that Pan Zhanle will quickly return to an excellent level.

Problems with the pounds for Chinese

With a time greater than 1.4 seconds than the one at the Paris Olympics, last year, the Chinese acknowledged that it was presented at the swimming world with a few extra pounds. The topic under the hashtag #Greutealuipanzhanle gathered 230 million views in China! “It is difficult now to get down below 47 seconds per hundred and this is due to the accumulation of 3 or 4 extra kilos.

I wanted to lose weight, but I didn’t succeed. I do not want to set some specific goals for the future, because that would mean more pressure. Even before the World Cup I did not propose a certain number of medals, I was focused on work and giving my best. ” A
recognized pan zhanle in the Chinese press.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.