Olympic champion Popovici set on second gold in men’s 100m freestyle
Olympic champion David Popovici finished almost a second clear of his nearest rival in the men’s 100m freestyle heats as he clocked 47.38.
The 20-year-old Romanian set the world’s fastest 2025 time of 1:43.64 in winning 200m freestyle gold on day one here and was satisfied with earning 50m freestyle bronze last night.
He described that performance as a “tool” to optimise his performance in the 200m and 100m freestyle which earned him respective gold and bronze at the Paris 2024 Games.
Relaxed and in form as he makes his U23 debut, how close might he come to his European – and formerly world – record of 46.86?
Croatia’s Jere Hribar was next fastest qualifier in 48.18, with Portugal’s 20-year-old world 50m and 100m butterfly champion Diogo Ribeiro, who won 50m freestyle gold, making the final in eighth place on 49.04.
Bukhov, Popescu and Ribeiro to battle for men’s 50m butterfly title
Ukraine’s world 50m freestyle champion Vladyslav Bukhov, who took silver in that event here, topped qualifying on 23.32 from Romania’s Denis-Laurean Popescu, who clocked 23.41, and Portugal’s 50m and 100m butterfly champion Diogo Ribeiro.
The 20-year-old Ribeiro is targeting a second gold having beaten Bukhov to 50m freestyle gold. Meanwhile Popescu is targeting a second gold having beaten Ribeiro to the 100m butterfly title…
Vanotterdijk aiming to accumulate more medals
Roos Vanotterdijk already has four medals here – golds in the women’s 50m backstroke and 100m butterfly, silver in the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle. But she wants – and expects – more.
The 20-year-old Belgian, who revels in racing across different disciplines, has her sights set on the women’s 50m butterfly, where she was fastest qualifier in 26.13, and the 100m freestyle.
The Czech Republic’s Daryna Nabojcenko was second fastest 50m butterfly qualifier in 26.38, followed by the host nation’s Tamara Potocka on 26.53. Slovakian fans will be hoping for another medal from their girl, who set the home flags waving on day one by taking 200m medley bronze.
A medal, rather than gold, looks like the realistic target for the Belgian in the 100m freestyle, where she qualified fourth fastest in 55.04 behind Dutch swimmer Milou van Wijk, winner of last night’s 50m freestyle, who clocked 53.99, Germany’s Nina Holt on 54.60 and Hungary’s joint 200m freestyle champion Nikolett Padar, who clocked 54.68.
Meanwhile Austria’s Luka Mladenovic, already champion in the men’s 50m and 200m breaststroke, is looking at a third title in the 100m breaststroke after topping qualifying in 1:00.59 from Ukraine’s Volodymyr Lisovets on 1:01.17.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
