Alexander Popov
Already a year later the 2 meter tall Popov won his first title over 50m free at the European Short Course Championships in Gelsenkirchen (GER). He repeated his win at the continental long course championships in Athens the same year where he also won the 100m freestyle and gold with the 4x100m freestyle relay. These three gold medals where the first of 21 European long course titles. What impressed the experts most right from the beginning of his career was Popov's beautiful freestyle technique. Nobody has ever seen a sprinter swim that fast with such a long stroke.
In 1992 Alexander Popov won gold over 50m and 100m freestyle. Furthermore he won two silver medals with both of the 4x100m relays. Two years later he started to shatter records right from the beginning of the year. At the World Cups he broke the World Record over 100m freestyle four times. The resulting time of 46.74 wasn't broken till 2004; the 50m World Record he swam at the same time survived till 1998. In June he also broke the 100m freestyle long course World Record in 48.21. At the World Championships in Rome the repeated his wins of gold and silver medals from the Olympic Games two years before.
In 1996 the Olympic Games in Atlanta saw one of the toughest battles ever between the Russian Popov and US American Gary Hall Jr. Alexander Popov again won both the 50m and 100m freestyle and became the first male swimmer to repeat the clean sweep after Jonny Weissmuller. Additionally he won two silver medals with the Russian relays.
Shortly after the Games Popov was attacked with a knife in Moscow and got injured seriously. After three months of rehabilitation he started his comeback and successfully defended his European long course titles the year after.
At his third Olympic Games in Sydney he won his last Olympic medal by finishing second over the 100m freestyle. However, his World Record over 50m free of 21.64 swum in the time trials survived eight years until Eamon Sullivan (AUS) broke it wearing a high tech suite.
The World Championships 2003 in Barcelona were the last international competition where Popov dominated the freestyle sprints. He won two individual gold medals over 50m and 100m freestyle and one with the Russian 4x100m freestyle squad. The beginning of the high tech suite era marked the end of his. At his fourth and last Olympics in Athens he could not make it to an individual final being one of the only swimmers still refusing to wear one of the new suits.
After his career he kept being a spokesman for his sponsor Omega and became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He has a Bachelor and a Master in Sport Coaching and a MBA in Banking and Finance.
Alexander Popov won four individual Olympic gold medals and six World Championship titles. He became European Swimmer of the Year in 1994 and 2003, Russian Sportsmen of the Year in 1996 and was awarded the Russian Order of Merit for the Fatherland.
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