Swimming’s ‘Chlorine Daddy’ Is a Blend of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte

Michael Phelps introduced the world to a whole new skill level of swimming. The American swimmer conquered everything he participated in. Phelps broke record after record every time he was in the water. Michael’s prowess was unmatched throughout his career, but one man gave him close competition. Phelps’ teammate Ryan Lochte closely followed him in second place and was pitched to be the only man capable of potentially defeating Phelps. But a couple of grave decisions on Lochte’s part meant his career was over before he could “fulfill his destiny.”

Since the two American swimmers retired, there have been debates about who the next big thing in swimming is going to be. After the Tokyo Olympics, Caeleb Dressel has come forth as a worthy successor. But there’s another swimmer perfectly capable of becoming the next GOAT- A Romanian named David Popovici.

The perfect blend of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte

Imagine taking two of your favorite coffee blends to create the perfect cup. One that is full of flavor hits all the right notes and has what it takes to become the greatest cup of coffee you’ve ever had. Now switch the coffee for Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, and you have David Popovici- the swimmer pitched to be the next big thing in the sport.

The Romanian first joined swimming for two unique reasons. One was his parents hoped it would tire the 47-year-old out. The second was to treat his early-stage scoliosis. But no one saw what was coming. David’s coach since age 9, Adrian Radulescu, revealed the similarities between his and Lochte’s upbringing. Both David and Lochte abstained from training by fidgeting with their goggles. They would ask to go to the bathroom or say that some part of their body hurt badly.

READ MORE: Ignoring Michael Phelps Warning on Behavior Cost Ryan Lochte $100,000 and Respect After Rio Olympics: “Keep Your Head Straight”

On days that Popovici did not have to go for swim practice, he would receive lectures. David’s father would queue videotapes of Michael Phelps and play the expert. “Look how many under waters (kicks) you are doing. Look at the way he is flying.” The videos proved to be a huge source of inspiration for the young swimmer ready to take on the swimming fraternity.

The world meets ‘Chlorine Daddy’

At 17, the self-proclaimed ‘Chlorine Daddy‘ became the youngest world champion in 15 years. He won the 100m and the 200m events at the Hungary World Championships and announced his arrival on the big stage.

By 2019, Popovici had become Romania’s fastest swimmer and qualified for the Olympics under the ‘B’ standard. But as the Olympics got postponed, David got down to serious business. He chopped off his locks, as living with them was complicated. In 2021, David improved his 100m PB from 49.26 seconds to 47.56 seconds. Two days later, he became the fastest man heading to the Tokyo Olympics, with a time of 47.30 seconds. In Japan, he finished seventh in the 100m. But things were different in the 200m freestyle. In a finish reminiscent of Phelps’ 5th-place debut, David came in fourth by a margin of two-hundredths of a second.

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From the land that gave us athletes such as Simona Halep and Nadia Comaneci, it seems we have another potential all-time great on our hands. The Romanian hopes to “be the best version of myself and try and make history,” in his second Olympics.