Romanian high divers Constantin Popovici and Catalin Preda - the European champion and vice-champion, respectively, landed the first two spots on Tuesday in the qualifiers of the high-altitude diving competition of the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
After performing two 27m dives, Popovici was ranking on top with a total of 232.20 points, followed by Catalin Preda with 207.60.
2022 European champion Constantin Popovici is one of the top favorites for gold and has shown excellent form this season, landing victories in Boston and Paris, and a second spot in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series held in Polignano a Mare (Italy), behind the UK's Aidan Heslop. AGERPRES