Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have been two names making the cover of US Swimming with their years of presence in the industry. Teammates and rivals, the two stars have grown to best the other and back the journey through. While Phelps stands as the most celebrated swimmer owning 28 Olympic medals, Lochte follows right behind with 12. Now that the new generation is over, the two have their evolved version.

Though Phelps and Lochte can never find their replacements, the swimming industry has constantly borne promising talents. David Popovici, the 17-year-old who broke 100m and 200m world records, is one of many to frame the list. With his continued feats and accolades, Popovici is often dubbed by fans as a combination of the two. Persisting along, does his recent medal tally stick through the name?

David Popovici over the week

From the 5th of December to the 10th, the 2023 European Short Course Championship engulfed the swimming world. Swimmers from across Europe made their way to find the best of the lot. David, holding world records, entered as one to look forward to. On Day 1, the youngster stood highlighted in only one of the 8 events hosted: Men’s 4 X 50 Freestyle Relay Finals. Popovici led off the team in 21.30. The total added up to 1:25.93 to place the team 7th. However, while the results did not seem satisfactory, David’s time fetched a new best time and national record.

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On Day 4, David led off the Men’s 200 Freestyle Semi-finals only to face disappointment by Matthew Richards during the finals. The 19-year-old clocked 1:41.52 to place fourth. He faced another upset in the 100m Freestyle Semi-Finals as he raced to place 6th. However, he recovered on the final day of the season to win a medal.

Beating Matt Richards, and Nandor Nemeth by 0.03 seconds of each, David touched in 46.05 to claim bronze in the 100m Freestyle Finals. Despite the numbers, the youngster had a rather positive outlook on the outcome.

The swimming champion’s mantra for staying on the top

David became the youngest male swimmer to break the world records since Michael Phelps. Though that might have deemed David the best in the field, the champion believes it is a rather good thing to face defeats from time to time; leaving space for improvement. “If you have the absolute perfect race and you have nothing else to improve, you know that you’ve basically reached the top, the limit,” he had said earlier, according to The Hindu.

Also Read: Which Is the Oldest Olympic Record in Swimming History?

David’s  hopes to stun the swimming community in his upcoming stints and for that, the youngster has some solid advice. “It’s a bad thing to be overconfident,” he told Olympics.com. “My most important thing – being simple.” 

Watch this story: Here’s How Katie Ledecky’s Remarkable Swimming Technique Propelled Her To The Top Of The World Record Charts