Romanian athletes dominate high diving competition at World Aquatics Championships

Athletes Constantin Popovici and Cătălin Petru Preda won the first medals, gold and silver, for Romania's delegation at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, after securing the top two positions in the high diving competition (27 meters).

Leading the rankings after the first two dives on July 25, Popovici, the reigning European champion, and Preda, the European vice-champion, confirmed that they are the best in the world even after the last two dives on Thursday, according to Digi24.

Constantin Popovici, 34 years old and from Bucharest, became Romania's first world champion in high diving. In the final standings after four dives, Constantin Popovici finished in first place with a total of 472.80 points, followed by Cătălin Petru Preda (438.45) and Frenchman Gary Hunt (426.30).

A total of 23 athletes participated in this competition. Gary Hunt is a two-time world champion in 2015 and 2019.

Popovici, from CSM Bacău, also competed in the 10m platform event, where he finished in 18th place. He showed excellent form this season with victories in Boston and Paris, and a second-place finish in Polignano a Mare, Italy, in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series circuit.

(Photo source: FRNPM on Facebook)