David Popovici wins men's 100m freestyle world title

Romanian 17-year-old swimmer David Popovici on Wednesday won the gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle event of the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, dashing off a time of 47.58 seconds.

Frenchman Maxime Grousset was second with 47.64 and Canadian Joshua Liendo Edwards placed third with 47.71 seconds.

David Popovici had managed the best time in the heats - 47.60 sec, as well as in the semifinals, setting a new junior world record of 47.13 sec.

The talented young athlete today wrote a new page of history in Romanian swimming, after winning gold in the 200m freestyle Monday night, with a time of 1 min 43.21 sec - a new junior world record that cut 1.19 seconds off his own record set just a day before.

David Popovici (Dinamo Sports Club), a debutant at the Senior World Championships, brought the first long-course world titles for Romanian men's swimming. So far, Romania had two gold medals won by Tamara Costache (women's 50m freestyle, 1986) and Diana Mocanu (women's 200m backstroke, 2001), but its world tally now improved to four gold, one silver and six bronze medals.

His fellow national Robert Glinta (25) finished 8th in the 100m backstroke event, and will compete in the 50m backstroke, which has the heats and semifinals scheduled for June 24. The final will take place on June 25. AGERPRES