Olympic champion David Popovici declared, on Thursday, at the Romanian House that he is very proud of his performance in Paris, praising at the same time the other Olympic medalists and qualified athletes.
"Congratulations to everyone who has competed so far, congratulations to us, congratulations to the rowers, because we know how hard we athletes have worked, together with our families and our teams. Only we know. Maybe we will be praised, rewarded, but only those who have gone through something like this know how much work is behind them and I'm very proud of us, because I've been dreaming of this since I was a child and it's very nice to have a country at my side, who supports me. I made the child in me very happy. I will not be the most mature in our delegation, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will make our children proud!" Popovici said.
The Romanian athlete avoided saying whether he had COVID or not during the time he was in Paris, specifying that he had not been tested.
"Now I feel much calmer, I've calmed down. I still didn't manage to sleep well last night, but that's because I was very excited. I felt like a boulder was lifted from my soul when I finished this competition, because it was a very hard journey. It wasn't just four very hard days. I don't know if I had COVID or not. I was everywhere and I interacted with everyone A cold spread to everyone, I wore a mask, and the finals were more even, because you could hear people coughing everywhere. But others continued now the world is holding up better. So I don't know if I had COVID or not," he said.
The program of the Olympic champion in the next period includes a well-deserved vacation, the next edition of the Olympic Games not being in his plans for the moment.
"I'm not thinking about the next Olympic Games at all, I'm only thinking about the next holiday. There are four more years, let's be healthy, let's be OK. For the Olympic Games from then I will think when I start the training cycle. Until then there are so many more competitions that it wouldn't be very wise to stress myself out now. We've been working for four years for something you can't time on the phone, you can't stop that timer at two hundredths or one hundredth, and we're fighting for this one medal. Now I feel more fulfilled, because I was missing the Olympic champion title, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to lie down and I'm done and I'm not going to swim anymore. For the moment, I have to forget about it The Olympic Games, from all the training, let's forget about the coach and him about me. We have to separate a little and I'll go on vacation where it's very far away and very hot," said David Popovici.
His coach, Adrian Radulescu, told parents who have children in sports to be more lenient and gave David's father, Mihai Popovici, as an example.
"The athletes' qualification for the Olympic Games and all the medals that we will get through Team Romania are proof of courage and proof that we can achieve results in Romania. Maybe we tend to blame the system, but I want to remind everyone that the system consists of us, we are the system. Every day a child may give up sports for the wrong reasons. We can talk about the infrastructure, but the way we relate to sports is important, and I mean the fact that we should have more patience to encourage children to do sports, to have patience with them as David's parents had. I remember a discussion eight years ago, when David's father said something to me: 'Adrian, I think David can be an Olympic champion and I think you can take him there.' in sports they should have a similar attitude," said Adrian Radulescu.
Olympic champions David Popovici (swimming), Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache (rowing), athletes from the rowing and athletics and gymnastics teams, the president of COSR, Mihai Covaliu, the president of ANS, Elisabeta Lipa, presidents of federations and other officials participate, on Thursday, at Romania's House, at an event organized by COSR and the Romanian Embassy in Paris.
Romania now has four medals at the 2024 Olympic Games, two gold, one won by swimmer David Popovici in the 200 meter freestyle, one won by Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache in the men's double sculls, one silver, won by Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis in the double women's rowing, and a bronze medal, won by David Popovici in the 100 meter freestyle.
Comentează