David Popovici: The teenage Romanian swimming superstar doing it his way

You know breakout swimming star David Popvici is a character by his choice of social media handle – @chlorinedaddy and the fact the teenager already has close to 300k followers on Instagram at only 18 years old.

So, what’s the story?

The Romanian, who is one of the headliners at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Melbourne, Australia from 13-18 December, burst onto the scene in June, astonishing the swimming world by winning both sprint world titles – the men’s 100m and 200m freestyle.

Popovici's achievement in Budapest, Hungary made him the first swimmer in 49 years to win gold in both sprint events, at the same edition of the world championships. Oh and he bagged the junior world records in both too – 1:43.21 in the 200m and 47.13s in the 100m.

All this at the age of just 17.

Popovici's idols: Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe

As with many a young swimmer born in the early 2000s, pool legends Michael Phelps (USA) and Ian Thorpe (AUS) are idols, so to have the latter, an 11-time world champion give Popovici his first world gold in Budapest was the icing on the cake. The cherry on the icing on the cake was Thorpedo’s message to Popovici on Instagram afterwards:

“A pleasure to present you with your world championship gold medal and I look forward to seeing many more. You are one of the most exciting swimmers to watch. I've enjoyed seeing your progress from last year and look forward to watch your future, bravo.”

After the breakout race, Olympics.com asked Popovici – the youngest participant of the 100m and 200m freestyle finals at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics – the secret of his success.

"Simply my fiery passion for swimming and hard work,” Popovici replied. “It's basic but if you combine hard work with passion, then the stars will at one point align for you.”

The simplicity of his answer belies Popovici’s talent described by two-time Australian Olympian Brett Hawke in a podcast as “one in a million".

But dig a little deeper and a bit more of Popovici’s secret sauce can be unearthed.

Secret of Popovici’s success?

In Popovici’s Instagram bio there’s a link. It’s not to a promotional website, his own YouTube channel, or a merchandise store, it’s to a YouTube video of the most quotable and successful coach of them all, Vince Lombardi.

The video shows the late American football coach, who died in 1970 and was considered to be one of the greatest leaders in all American sport, at a corporate event talking to industry executives.

Hired as the motivational speaker, Lombardi is seen in the grainy, aged footage, strolling between the dinner tables talking about ‘What it takes to be number one’.

After an introductory oratory, Lombardi got to the nub of the talk.

“It’s my intention this evening to create within you a little dissonance, a little disharmony, a little dissatisfaction, which is the essence of motivation,” said Lombardi.

“How many diets does it take to get down to the weight you’d like to be at? Just one,” he says, raising his pointed finger skyward to emphasise the point. “The one you stick with.”

A second example, and then a third, likely particularly resonant with Popovici.

“How many personal growth programmes do you have to take on before you see some of the changes in your personal life you’d like to see? Just one.” Again, the same mannerism of the raised index finger. “The one you commit to and discipline yourself to stick with.”

Read: Five things to know about David Popovici: The Romanian swimmer destined for greatness

Clearly taking this advice to heart, Popovici shows a maturity beyond his years. The teenager’s head isn’t turned by myriad repackaging of self-improvement tools for the modern market or flip flopping between different ways of doing things. He decides the ways that work for him and sticks with them.

Despite a flurry of opportunities after his breakout world championships, Popovici opted not to take up an opportunity beloved by many athletes of heading to the US on a sports scholarship to continue his studies after finishing school. Yes, he’s just finished school.

Instead he will be staying in Bucharest.

"I will continue in Romania because I want to stay with my coach and our chemistry is just way too important to compromise,” he said.

Outside interests

Acknowledging that interests outside of sport are a healthy way to maintain balance in his life, Popovici wants to continue studying.

His subject matter? Pyschology.

“I like the human mind because I'm using it and I know what it can achieve when it's controlled well. I'm into human behaviour and anything the brain can do, good and bad. The muscles play their part, but the brain is the biggest instrument in every good athlete."

Quoting the likes of Ancient Rome philosopher Seneca, "Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power", and former South African president Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”, the young Romanian is already melding a connection between mind and body vital to any athlete's success.

And if he’s reached this stage while still a teenager and has the courage to follow his own path already, the world truly is Popovici’s for the taking.