Amidst 17-Year-Old Chlorine Daddy’s Dominance, Meet the Swimmer Who Broke Michael Phelps’ Record at 16

Imagine a wonder boy who breaks a record of Michael Phelps. Does this sound magical? Fictitious perhaps? But for a young swimmer, this became the ultimate truth at 16 when he triumphed over a record set by Phelps. So, amidst the new records set by David Popovici, the water’s “Chlorine Daddy,” we are here to look at another swimming prodigy.

Enter Justin Lynch. This 25-year-old swimmer from California began his journey of triumph by smashing an age-group record at 14. He was a skinny kid, but that could never testify to his swimming capabilities.

Lynch broke a Michael Phelps record.

Justin’s moment came at 16 at the USA Swimming World Championship trials in June 2013. The competition was tougher on these levels, but it did not deter him. He broke the record, clocking at an impressive 52.75. The entire moment was caught on tape. Lynch later said, “I could hear my friends screaming at the end of the pool, but I didn’t know for sure until I turned around,” For Justin, the next stop was the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

This sounds quite similar to the journey and rise of David Popovici, the 17-year-old Romanian swimmer making ripples in the swimming world. Popovici, who started swimming at 6, has since become a lethal force in the pool. He has recently set records in the 100m and the 200m freestyle.

What connects these swimmers to the swimming legend Phelps is their integrity to the sport. Although both Lynch and Popovici have a gap of a few years between their triumph, in both cases, certain similarities were present.

READ MORE: “More Than Anybody Else on the Planet”: Michael Phelps Reveals How a Piece of Paper Changed His Swimming Career

However, while Popovici was from Romania, a country where swimming is yet to gain much popularity, for Lynch, it was a different story. Lynch hopes to inspire others who, like him, are a minority. But, both of them see Phelps as a motivator to them.

What lies in the future for young athletes?

Much like Lynch, who was the big name for the 2016 Olympics, Popovici is the name for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both the young men seem to have followed in Phelps’ footsteps. Phelps first came to make his break in 2001 at 15. Since then, he has gone to bag 28 Olympic medals, becoming a benchmark in swimming.

Lynch, who has since gone to college and hopes to continue schooling, hopes to continue being in the sport. While Popovici is definitely the name of the hour, we must not ignore the prodigy who raced against Phelps and Ryan Lochte at the  USA Swimming Grand Prix.

WATCH THIS STORY: Legendary Michael Phelps vs 17-Year-Old ‘Chlorine Daddy’ David Popovici: Who’s faster?