Sports Writing, December 18 (EFE).- Romanian David Popovici had to settle for the silver medal at the Short Course World Championships which concluded this Sunday in the Australian city of Melbourne, after being beaten by the South Korean Sunwoo Hwang in the final. in the 200m free, which suggests a lively rivalry between the two young swimmers.

Although he has repeatedly insisted that he came to the meeting with the sole objective of “learning”, Popovici, only 18 years old, highlighted all the immense talent that he cherishes, having covered the first 50 meters in first position with a time below. the world record.

But David Popovici, who dazzled the world last summer with the double -100 and 200m freestyle- which he signed at both the World Long Pool Championships in Budapest and the European Championships in Rome, this time found himself with a formidable rival, the South Korean Sunwoo Hwang, another of the names of the future of world swimming.

If after covering the first two lengths Popovici leads the South Korean by 8 hundredths, with the last 25 meters to go Hwang, 19, was in first position with an income of 1.21 over the Romanian.

But not yet David Popovici who last August lowered the legendary world record for the 100m freestyle in the large pool of the Brazilian Cesar Cielo, who pushed like never before in the last length.

Final reaction that could not prevent the triumph of Sunwoo Hwang, who revalidated the title of world champion he had obtained last year in Abu Dhabi, with a time of 1:39.72 minutes, one second less than the time -1:40.79- signed by Popovici, who had to settle for silver.

Briton Tom Dean, gold medalist at the last Tokyo Olympics, completed the podium, who won the bronze medal with a time of 1:40:86 minutes.

Times which anticipate a vibrant rivalry in the years to come between these three swimmers and which seriously jeopardize the world records for the 200m freestyle in long and short course held by the German Paul Biedermann since the era of “swimsuits”. magic baths”.

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MAC NEIL LEAVES MELBOURNE WITH TWO WORLD RECORDS

If the talent of Popovici and Hwang suggests that the table of records will be reversed in the years to come, the Canadian Margaret Mac Neil will not need to wait and leaves the Melbourne Aquatic Center with two new world records in her pocket .

After setting a new world record last Friday -25.25- in the 50m backstroke final, the 22-year-old Canadian swimmer set her second competition record this Sunday after winning the 100m butterfly final with a time of 54.05 seconds.

A record which allowed Mac Neil, the current Olympic champion in the distance, to lower by 54 hundredths the previous world record held by the American Kelsi Dahlia with a time of 54.59 since last year.

The Canadian did not give an option on this occasion to American Torri Huske, with whom she shared the gold in the 50m butterfly and added a victory, which allows her to close the world championships with three medals d’or -50 and 100 butterfly and 50 m backstroke. – and three bronzes -4×100 free styles, 4×100 styles and 4×50 mixed styles-.

DOUBLES BY LE CLOS AND McKEOWN

But Margaret Mac Neil was not the only protagonist of some World Cups that confirmed the return to prominence of South African Chas Le Clos, who scored a double after adding to the gold he won in the 200 m butterfly the victory he signed this Sunday in the final of the hectometre.

After a few years clouded by the dominance in the butterfly events of American Caeleb Dressel and Hungarian Kristof Milak, the South African veteran swimmer, who turned 30 last April, showed in Melbourne that he still has a bit of rope for a while.

As confirmed by the near half-second in which Le Clos, who clocked 48.59 seconds, passed young Canadian Ilya Kharum in the 100m butterfly, who snagged the silver medal with a score of 49. .03, a new junior world record.

Neither is Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, the current Olympic and world champion in the distance, who has been confirmed as the “queen” of the backstroke, after adding to the gold she won in the 100m the victory that she collected this Sunday in the 200m backstroke final, with a time of 1:59.26 minutes, barely 32 hundredths more than her own world record.

MURPHY FINDS NO RIVAL AT THE BACK

If McKeown is the “queen” of women’s backstroke, American Ryan Murphy is the undisputed “king”, having completed the hat-trick on Sunday, after adding to the victory he won in the 50 and 100 minutes the one that he added this Sunday in the 200 backstroke final with a time of 1:47.41 minutes.

A mark which allowed Murphy to edge his compatriot Shaine Casas by 60 hundredths, who, like what happened last year during the World Cups played in Abu Dhabi, had to be content with the silver medal.

Quite the opposite of the American Nic Fink, who revalidated the gold he had obtained last year, after beating the Italian Nicolo Martinenghi this Sunday with a time of 25.38 in the 50m breaststroke final.

A victory that allowed Fink to leave Australia with two gold medals -50 and 100 breaststroke- and a silver -200- in the three individual breaststroke events he competed in Melbourne.

HAUGHEY AND MEILUTYTE MEET FORECASTS

For her part, Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong did not fail and reissued the title of world champion she had obtained last year after winning the final of the 200m freestyle with a mark of 1:51.65 minutes.

Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte also did not fail, who after setting a new world record -28.37- in the semifinals, won the medal in the 50m breaststroke, after beating South African Lara van Niekerk with a time of 28.50 seconds.

FESTIVAL OF RECORDS IN RELAYS.

The world record was broken in the men’s and women’s 4×100 medley relay finals.

Led by a sensational Lilly King in the breaststroke relay, the United States won gold and a new world record of 3:44.35 in the women’s final, while in the men’s competition, the North Americans shared the glory with Australia.

Led by a sensational Kyle Chalmers, who swam the last hundred meters, the Oceanicians managed to touch the wall with the same time -3.18.98- as the United States, which allowed the two teams to climb on the top step of the podium as holders of a new universal record.

(c) EFE Agency