Swimmers David Popovici and Daniel-Laurean Popesu qualified on Thursday in the semifinals of the 200m freestyle and 50m backstroke, respectively, of the European Swimming Championships in Belgrade, while the tricolor relay of 4x100m freestyle reached the final.
David Popovich. PHOTO: Inquam Photos
David Popovici, European champion in the 200m freestyle, achieved the fastest time in the series with 1min45sec44/100, almost two seconds faster than the Serbian Velimir Stjepanovic (1min47sec18/100), with the second performance in the series.
Popovici, who won the European title in the 100 m freestyle on Wednesday, will compete in the second semifinal, on Thursday, from 19:46 (Romanian time).
Denis-Laurean Popescu qualified for the semi-finals in the 50m backstroke with the 14th time of the series (25sec58/100). He will perform in the second semi-final on Thursday, scheduled from 20:03.
In the men’s 4x100m free relay heats, Romania, with Patrick-Sebastian Dinu, Alexandru Szilagyi, Mihai Gergely and David Popovici, obtained the third time in the heats (3min15sec20/100), after Serbia (3min13sec47/100) and Croatia (3min15sec13/100), and will play in the final on Thursday at 20:45.
In jumping from the 1m springboard, Alexandru Avasiloae obtained the 18th score in the qualifications (264.20 points) and missed the qualification in the final of 12.
Romania is participating with 11 athletes at the European Games in Belgrade: David Popovici (100 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle, 4x100m relay), Patrick Sebastian Dinu (50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay), Mihai Gergely (50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay), George Raţiu (50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay), Richard Alexandru Szilagyi (50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay) , Denis Laurean Popescu (100 m butterfly, 50 m backstroke, 100 m backstroke).
In the jumps, with trials scheduled between June 17 and 23, we will have Ioana Cârcu (platform), Amelie Foerster (1m springboard, 3m springboard, mixed synchro on the 3m springboard), Angelica Muscalu (platform) and Alexandru Foerster represented Avasiloae (trampoline 1 m, 3 m, mixed synchro 3 m).
At the 2022 European Championships in Rome, Romania won two gold medals, both through David Popovici in the 100 m and 200 m freestyle.
