Popovici Takes Third Straight European 200m Free Title

On Friday evening in Paris, David Popovici won his third straight European 200m freestyle title. The Romanian touched in 1:44.15 at the Olympic Aquatic Centre, a time that underlined his hold on the event.

Leading from the first stroke

Popovici took the race out fast and never gave up the lead. He split 24.01 and 26.52 to turn at the halfway point in 50.53, a tenth ahead of James Guy. The field closed slightly on the third length, but the champion held his line and finished four tenths clear.

Lithuania's Tomas Navikonis took silver in 1:44.55. Britain's Guy claimed bronze, 0.72 behind the winner.

A triple double no one else has done

The Paris gold completed a third straight 100 and 200 freestyle double at the European Championships. No other swimmer has won both sprint events at three consecutive editions. Two days earlier, Popovici had already claimed the 100m free title.

Still only 21, he is the Olympic and world champion in the 200m free. His personal best of 1:42.97, set in 2022, remains the third-fastest time in history.

"I'm very happy to be, I think, the first swimmer in history to win the European 100 and 200 freestyle three times," Popovici told European Aquatics later. He added that his focus had shifted toward chasing excellence rather than counting medals.