The 19-year-old swimmer David Popovici made history by winning the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter freestyle event, becoming the first swimmer to win gold for Romania. Popovici, who impressed at the 2022 World Championships with a double victory in the 100m and 200m freestyle, completed the race in 1 minute and 44.72 seconds, narrowly beating British swimmer Matthew Richards, who finished in 1:44.74. Team USA’s Luke Hobson secured the bronze medal with a time of 1:44.79 in a thrilling finish.
This marks Popovici’s first Olympic medal, following a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish. In the race, he faced stiff competition from German swimmer Lukas Maertens, who previously won the gold medal in the 400-meter event earlier in the week and started strongly in the first 150 meters. However, Popovici showcased his strength in the final stretch, overtaking his competitors for a dramatic victory.
In the women’s 200-meter freestyle, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan maintained her lead over her training partner and the reigning Olympic champion, Ariarne Titmus, surpassing her with an Olympic record time of 1:53.27. O’Callaghan was 0.54 seconds faster than Titmus, while Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey claimed the bronze medal. This victory came just weeks after Titmus reclaimed her world record in the 200-meter freestyle during the Olympic trials, and O’Callaghan’s triumph prevented Titmus from becoming the first swimmer to defend her Olympic gold medal in this event.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh had an impressive victory in the women’s 400-meter individual medley (IM), securing her second medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. McIntosh, who is also the world record holder in this discipline, completed the race in 4 minutes and 27.71 seconds, finishing 5.69 seconds ahead of silver medalist Katie Grimes. Her triumph came just two days after winning Olympic silver behind Titmus in the 400-meter freestyle.
In the men’s 100-meter backstroke, Italian world record holder Thomas Ceccon delivered a dramatic final sprint to claim the gold medal with a time of 52 seconds, finishing just 0.32 seconds ahead of China’s Xu Jiayu. Team USA’s Ryan Murphy secured the bronze medal.
Finally, Tatjana Smith from South Africa won her country’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics, adding the 100-meter breaststroke title to the 200-meter title she won at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics under her maiden name Schoenmaker. China’s world champion Tang Qianting took the silver medal, while Ireland’s Mona McSharry was overjoyed after a fierce battle for the bronze medal.