Romanian swimmer David Popovici, the reigning Olympic champion, won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter freestyle event on Tuesday at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025. 

At just 20 years old, Popovici clinched victory with a time of 1 minute 43.53 seconds, on the very day of Romania’s National Anthem.

David Popovici, who posted the fastest time in the heats (1:45.43) and ranked fourth in the semifinals (1:45.02), was in fourth place after the first length of the pool. Before the final length, he trailed American Luke Hobson by nearly a second but mounted a spectacular comeback to seize the gold medal.

Hobson finished with a time of 1:43.84, earning the silver medal, while the bronze went to Japan’s Tatsuya Murasa, who touched the wall at 1:44.54.