Contents
Alexander Popov
Winning the Olympic 50 m and 100 m freestyle double twice.
Barcelona double · Atlanta double
- Born
- 16 November 1971
- Birthplace
- Lesnoy, Russia
More people
Alexander Popov
Russian swimmer whose economical stroke made him a leading sprint freestyler of the 1990s. He trained for much of his career in Australia with Gennadi Touretski.
Early life
Learning to swim
Began lessons at eight despite an initial fear of water.
Changing strokes
Started as a backstroker before switching to freestyle under Touretski.
Career
- 1990–1992
Sprint breakthrough
Changed training direction and won both Olympic freestyle sprints.
- 1990s
Training in Australia
Moved with his coach and continued an international career representing Russia.
- 2003–2005
Late success and retirement
Won three golds at the 2003 worlds before retiring after the Athens Olympics.
Achievements
Barcelona double
Won Olympic gold at 50 m and 100 m freestyle for the Unified Team.
Atlanta double
Defended both sprint titles while representing Russia.
World sprint titles
Won the 50 m and 100 m freestyle at the World Championships.
Beyond sport
Recovery from injury
Recovered after being stabbed during an incident in Moscow in 1996.
Family life
Married fellow Olympic swimmer Darya Shmeleva.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Career and achievements ↗Photo: администрация Волгоградской области. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
