Romania is lining up 11 swimmers led by double world champion David Popovici for the European Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy, August 11-21, according to the Romanian Swimming and Modern Pentathlon Federation (FRNMP).
The Romanian swimmers will compete in the swimming, diving and high diving events.
Popovici is the favourite to win the men's 100m and 200m freestyle events, fresh from becoming the world champion in both events in Budapest this year.
Competing in the swimming events will be David Popovici (men's 100 m, 200 m, 400 m freestyle, 4x100 m freestyle relay), Alexandra Dobrin (women's 200 m medley, 400 m medley), Alexandra Victorita Bogdaneci (women's 50 m butterfly, 100 m butterfly), Patrick Sebastian Dinu (men's 100 m freestyle, 4x100 m freestyle relay), George-Alexandru Stoica-Constantin (men's 100 m freestyle, 4x100 m freestyle relay), Mihai Gergely (men's 100 m freestyle, 200 m individual medley, 4x100 m freestyle relay), and Andrei Mircea Anghel (men's 50 m backstroke, 100 m backstroke).
Amelie Forster (women's 1 m springboard) and Angelica Muscalu (women's 10 m) will be performing in the diving contests, while Constantin Popovici and Catalin Preda will compete in high diving, an event that takes place for the first time at the European championships. Popovici and Preda are expected to win a medal as they are currently first and second, respectively, in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series rankings.
The delegation led by FRNPM Secretary General Matei Giurcaneanu also includes coaches Adrian Radulescu, Eduard Caslaru, Razvan Florea, Adrian Cherciu, Florin Avasiloae, Dragos Luscan, Claudiu Radu, physiotherapists Valentin Grigoras, Ludovico Culotta and officials Daniela Ilies, Dan Ardelean, Marius Grigore, and Silviu Anastase, Agerpres.
Robert Glinta, who at the previous edition of the European aquatics championships in 2020 in Budapest won Romania's only medals: gold in the 100 m backstroke and silver in the 50 m backstroke, will be absent.