David Popovici: It's normal and human to not always succeed

Swimmer David Popovici has taken to social media to share a message of resilience after his performance at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka.

The 18-year-old Romanian failed to reach the podium in either of his individual events in Fukuoka. However, he has taken the opportunity to reflect on his experiences and share some valuable advice with his fans.

"It is completely normal and human to not succeed always," Popovici wrote. "I actually prefer to be a complete athlete who knows how to handle the unpredictable ups and downs that sports bring, rather than being a robot who only knows how to win."

In 2021, the 1.9m swimmer from CS Dinamo Bucuresti won two gold medals at the European Junior Swimming Championships, setting a new junior world record in the 100m freestyle. He then went on to win the gold medal in the 200m freestyle at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, becoming the first Romanian swimmer to win a gold medal at the World Championships.

He then went on to say that he believes these experiences make him stronger. "It has been the most intense year of my life," he said. "But I managed to make it through. I think now is a great opportunity for me to understand courage and commitment."

The young swimmer concluded his message by saying that he is motivated to get back to training and become the fastest swimmer in the world again. "I feel stronger than ever," he said.

(Photo: David Popovici/Facebook)