Swimmer David Popovici is one of the five finalists fighting for the Piotr Nurowski Prize, a distinction awarded by the Association of European Olympic Committees (EOC) for the best young European athlete in 2021, informs the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. “Hold my fists!” Popovici wrote on Facebook.
The other four EOC nominees are Sky Brown from the UK (skateboarding), Adriana Cerezo Iglesias from Spain (taekwondo), Viktoria Listunova from Russia (artistic gymnastics) and Adriana Vilagos from Serbia (athletics).
The voting and award ceremony will take place during the EOC seminar in Samorin, Slovakia, on November 25-26, 2021, with the winner receiving a training grant of 15,000 euros. The second and third place will receive 8,000 euros and 5,000 euros, respectively, while the fourth and fifth place will receive 3,000 euros each.
David Popovici managed in 2021 to win a gold medal at the European Junior Short Course Championships, three gold medals at the European Junior Championships, to break two world records for juniors in the 100 and 200 m freestyle and to place on the place 4 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the 100 m freestyle.
The award was created in memory of former Polish Olympic Committee President Piotr Nurowski, who tragically died in a plane crash in 2010. This award is given annually for summer sports and, separately, for winter sports.
This is the 10th edition of the Piotr Nurowski Trophy for summer disciplines. In 2012, gymnast Larisa Iordache came second in the preferences of those who voted.
Editor : A.A.
