The Most Famous
SWIMMERS from Romania
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Romanian Swimmers of all time. This list of famous Romanian Swimmers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Camelia Potec (b. 1982)
With an HPI of 43.82, Camelia Potec is the most famous Romanian Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages on wikipedia.
Camelia Potec (Romanian pronunciation: [kaˈmeli.a ˈpotek]; born 19 February 1982, in Brăila) is a female Romanian swimmer, who won the gold medal in the women's 200 m freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She won the Mare Nostrum in 2004.
2. Beatrice Câșlaru (b. 1975)
With an HPI of 42.73, Beatrice Câșlaru is the 2nd most famous Romanian Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Beatrice Nicoleta Câșlaru (also Coadă; born 20 August 1975 in Brăila) is a former medley swimmer from Romania, who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for her native country, starting in 1996. At her second Olympic appearance, in Sydney, Australia, she won a silver and a bronze medal. Nicknamed Biki, she made her international debut at the 1991 European Aquatics Championships in Athens, Greece. Just like two other swimmers from Romania, Diana Mocanu and Camelia Potec, she comes from the town of Brăila.
3. David Popovici (b. 2004)
With an HPI of 42.22, David Popovici is the 3rd most famous Romanian Swimmer. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.
David Popovici (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdavid po'povit͡ʃʲ]; born 15 September 2004) is a Romanian competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle events and is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200-metre event, having won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He is the current holder of the European record and the junior world record, as well as the former holder of the world record in the long course 100-metre freestyle. He is also the holder of the current junior world record in the short course 100-metre freestyle event and in the long course 200-metre freestyle event. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Popovici won gold medals in his two signature events (Men's 100-metre freestyle and Men's 200-metre freestyle), becoming the first swimmer to do so at the same edition of the World Championships, since Jim Montgomery in 1973. Following his performances during the 2022 long course season, in which he won eleven gold medals and two silver medals, Popovici was voted Male Swimmer of the Year by both SwimSwam and Swimming World Magazine. He was also named the BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year of 2022. During that summer, he established an unprecedented level of dominance, especially in the long course 100-metre freestyle, recording 13 of the 19-fastest swims in the world in 2022, while also becoming only the third swimmer in history to set an under 1:43 time in the long course 200-metre freestyle. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he placed third in the 100-metre freestyle, earning the bronze medal, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Australia's Kyle Chalmers.
4. Noemi Lung (b. 1968)
With an HPI of 41.30, Noemi Lung is the 4th most famous Romanian Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 14 different languages.
Noemi Lung Zaharia (born May 16, 1968) is a retired butterfly, freestyle and medley swimmer from Romania, who won two individual medley medals at the 1988 Olympics. A year before she collected a record five gold medals at the 1987 Summer Universiade in Zagreb. In 1990 she moved to the United States, where she received a scholarship in 1995 and graduated in management from the Florida International University in Miami. She was women's swimming Head Coach at the Florida University from 2002 to 2010. In 2020, she received a PhD in sports leadership from the United States Sports Academy. Since 2010 she is the Director of the Aquatic and Fitness Center at Miami Dade College North campus in Miami, FL, before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Alabama Huntsville. In 2024, Dr. Noemi Zaharia became the Director of Sport Leadership and an associate professor at the United States Sport's Academy. Since December 1995 she is married to the Olympic handball player Cristian Zaharia. They have two children.
5. Răzvan Florea (b. 1980)
With an HPI of 36.51, Răzvan Florea is the 5th most famous Romanian Swimmer. His biography has been translated into 14 different languages.
Răzvan Florea (born 29 September 1980 in Constanța, Romania) is a former Olympic and national record setting backstroke swimmer from Romania. He was the first Romanian male to win an Olympic medal in Swimming when he won the bronze medal in the 200 backstroke at the 2004 Olympics. He also swam for Romania at the 2000 Olympics.
6. Robert Glință (b. 1997)
With an HPI of 34.74, Robert Glință is the 6th most famous Romanian Swimmer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Robert Andrei Glință (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈrobert ˈglin.t͡sə]; born 18 April 1997) is the Romanian record holder in the long course and short course 50 metre backstroke and 100 metre backstroke. He is a former junior world record holder for 100 metre backstroke (short course), with a time of 50.77 seconds. He finalled in the 100 metre backstroke at two consecutive Summer Olympic Games, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. He represented Team Iron in the International Swimming League in 2019. At the 2021 World Short Course Championships, held at in December Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Glință achieved his highest place finish in the 100 metre backstroke, where he won the bronze medal with a time of 49.60 seconds, which was 0.37 seconds behind gold medalist Shaine Casas of the United States. It marked his first medal at a senior short course or long course World Championships. For the edition of the World Short Course Championships the following year, the 2022 World Short Course Championships held in December in Melbourne, Australia, he placed twenty-eighth in the 100 metre backstroke with a time of 52.65 seconds.
7. Paula Ruiz (b. 1999)
With an HPI of 16.08, Paula Ruiz is the 7th most famous Romanian Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 4 different languages.
Paula Ruiz Bravo (born 16 February 1999) is a Spanish swimmer, specialising in open water events. She competed in the women's 10 km event at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, finishing in 24th place.
8. Katie Shanahan (b. 2004)
With an HPI of 14.95, Katie Shanahan is the 8th most famous Romanian Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 7 different languages.
Katie Shanahan (born 25 June 2004) is a Scottish professional swimmer who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
9. Bianca Costea (b. 2005)
With an HPI of 12.38, Bianca Costea is the 9th most famous Romanian Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 4 different languages.
Bianca-Andreea Costea (Romanian pronunciation: [biˈaŋka anˈdree̯a ˈkoste̯a]; born January 26, 2005) is a Romanian swimmer who is competing in the 50 meter and 100 meter freestyle events at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She won a gold medal in the 50 meter freestyle at the 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Romanian swimmers born between 1968 and 2005. Of these 9, 9 (100.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Romanian swimmers include Camelia Potec, Beatrice Câșlaru, and David Popovici. As of April 2024, 2 new Romanian swimmers have been added to Pantheon including Noemi Lung, and Răzvan Florea.
Living Romanian Swimmers
Go to all Rankings
Camelia Potec
1982 - Present
HPI: 43.82
Beatrice Câșlaru
1975 - Present
HPI: 42.73
David Popovici
2004 - Present
HPI: 42.22
Noemi Lung
1968 - Present
HPI: 41.30
Răzvan Florea
1980 - Present
HPI: 36.51
Robert Glință
1997 - Present
HPI: 34.74
Paula Ruiz
1999 - Present
HPI: 16.08
Katie Shanahan
2004 - Present
HPI: 14.95
Bianca Costea
2005 - Present
HPI: 12.38
