Romanian Constantin Popovici has been named men’s high diving winner at the 2025 European Aquatics Athlete of the Year Awards, following a public vote that recognised his consistency and strong results across the international circuit. He secured 35.06% of the vote, according to the official announcement.

The award comes after a season in which the 37-year-old delivered podium finishes across all major competitions.

“The cornerstone of Popovici’s campaign came at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where he came out on top of a three-way battle for the bronze medal. After an uneven opening, the Romanian responded with a succession of high-calibre dives in the latter stages of the competition to climb onto the podium, securing third place with a huge score of 141.00 when it mattered most,” said the European Aquatics.  

He followed that performance with a second-place finish at the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup stop at Porto Flavia, confirming his status among the discipline’s elite athletes.

Popovici also remained in the title race throughout the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, eventually finishing second overall after consistent results at some of the circuit’s most technically demanding venues. 

Spain’s Carlos Gimeno finished second in the voting with 20.11%, followed by Italy’s Andrea Barnaba with 19.72%. France’s Gary Hunt placed fourth with 14.71%, while another Romanian diver, Cătălin Preda, ranked fifth with 10.33%.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Europeanaquatics.org)