Q: What memories do you have of your first meeting with David Popovici?

A: "David came to our club when he was nine. He wasn't the easiest to coach, he was mostly looking to have fun, to skip his turn, like all kids. But he had something special, he was very competitive.

Q: Did you immediately see its potential?

A: "Not really. We had a lot of talented swimmers. Some were focused on training, some were focused on having fun. It took time to see that he could focus on training and progress. He must have been 10 or 11 when he realized what it was."

Q: When did you realize he could do something big in swimming?

A: "We were in training, he must have been ten years old, we organized a competition with swimmers of the same age. Twenty-five meters to swim and the last one was eliminated. Two boys were better than him, we started the game "Every time, David finished second to last. In front, they wanted to prove that they were good and they got tired. In the final, the last one had no more energy and David won. So at 10, he had already the intelligence and the talent."

Q: What makes it special?

A: "He is ready to listen. But he needs information, arguments. It means that over time he has acquired a lot of knowledge about swimming. He was ready to understand swimming from the start. He is also ready to make the sacrifices necessary for any professional athlete. Plan outings, vacations, his family, always keeping the competition program in mind. When he goes out, he is always the first to come back, he is the type to ask the guy who organizes to bring forward the time of the evening to stay a little longer. And also, he sets personal goals, but he also thinks of others, of bigger things. He is not only a question of winning medals but of becoming a source of inspiration for other swimmers."

#photo1

Q: At only 17...

A: Yes, it's amazing that it's happening so soon.

Q: How did you adapt the technique to her slender morphology?

A: "David has a keen sense of water. It's a discussion we had with the video analyst: the question is not the force you can generate but how to put it in the speed that we're developing. So, yes, he's very thin, but he has enough strength to swim faster. If he were stronger, I don't know if he could swim faster. Probably. But his technique and the way he feels the water should be adapted. He will be 18 in September, his body will grow, evolve towards that of a man. It is a challenge to find the right way, to achieve the right balance between strength and efficiency. We will see in the next five or six years."

Q: He often talks about the trust he has in his staff.

How would you define your relationship?

A: "It's not always the same. Sometimes the pedagogue has to be in front, sometimes behind, sometimes by his side. Sometimes I have to listen more to what he says, what he thinks. Sometimes it's is the opposite, it's up to him to listen to my ideas. It's not an autocratic process, rather a friendly training relationship. You also have to accept that you're not always right. It's important for the athlete confidence. Honesty is fundamental to confidence."

Q: Were you aware that his life was going to change after his 100-200m double at the Budapest Worlds?

A: "It is indeed a huge boost in his popularity. Everyone in the street recognizes that. And there are very emotional moments, like Tuesday when we arrived. There were workers working on the roof above the grandstand. For a moment, everyone was silent and one of the guys said: "It's David! It's David! Please win the medal. We want to be there when you will win it.+ They were Romanians. This kind of encounter is the most important thing.

Interview by Diane FALCONER

© 2022 AFP