And if that world record is impossible, and if it is beyond the reach of the human being, and if it will remain in the books for centuries. Plastic swimsuits and their effects. That invention that between 2008 and 2009 revolutionized swimming remains in history as an indelible stain. Not even the greatest talents in history have managed to reduce the time that the German Paul Biedermann, a second-rate swimmer, marked in the 200-meter freestyle dressed from top to bottom in polyurethane.

Michael Phelps, the legend, spent his whole life training, and training, and training to break the barrier of one minute and 44 seconds in such a mythical distance and when he did, Biedermann and his suit appeared to set a record forever: 1:42:00. That day, July 28, 2009, at the World Cup in Rome, the German himself admitted that his success had a trick -his previous best mark was 1:46-, that he would like to beat Phelps “without needing a swimsuit” and that he had to return “to real swimming”, but his record continues there. Only a marvel in a state of grace could surpass it.

And David Popovici thought this was his moment.. This Tuesday, at the Fukuoka World Cup, he stood before the very high wall that Biedermann built, looked up, took a run, jumped into the skies of history…. and crashed against the stone. it was violent. it was nasty. It was a failure. The marvel, currently the fastest man on the planet, fell to the bottom in search of the 200-meter record and was left without history, without gold and even without a podium. In the last moments he was surpassed by the British Matthew Richards and Tom Dean and the South Korean Sunwoo Hwang to leave him in fourth position with a time (1:44:90) slower than that recorded in the semifinals.

A simple analysis of his career explains the disappointment. In the first length, Popovici was not only faster than Biedermann, he was faster than any other swimmer in history (23.74 seconds) and then paid off.. When completing 100 meters, he was still at a world record pace (50.18), but at 150 meters he was already behind (01:16:78) and in the last length he suffered like never before in his life. His final set (28.12) was the slowest of all the finishers, possibly his slowest set since childhood..

Will he make it in the future?

“Nobody likes to lose like that, but I'm not mad.. I've done three really good lengths and I couldn't take it anymore. I have given everything I could. That's the way sport is”, declared a relaxed Popovici. He is 18 years old. He will try again. After the Tokyo 2020 Games, when he was just a teenager, he declared on the 'Inside With Brett Hawke' podcast that Biedermann's record was “the most difficult of all”, but it was not impossible. “I will need time, passion and patience”, he commented then and, with those three ingredients, he could achieve it.

His attempt this Tuesday might seem like the excess of a daring young man, but it was not. Among many other reasons, one: last year Popovici already broke a plastic world record, in the 100-meter freestyle, held by César Cielo. Precisely in that distance, Popovici will have the option of winning gold in this Fukuoka World Cup -it will be on Thursday- although he will have to return to the 200-meter freestyle to challenge the past.

Your place in history depends on it.. Due to his qualities, although he flirts with the butterfly and the styles, Popovici will hardly reach the medal records of Phelps, he will not even come close. By his nature, discreet, studious, happy living in Bucharest, it will be difficult for him to achieve the media prominence of his American or British rivals.. But if he surpasses Biedermann's record, no one can deny him a place on Olympus.

Other records will remain (Biedermann himself has the 400-meter freestyle) from the time of plastic swimsuits, but he will have finished with the most paradigmatic. In their favor, the room for improvement due to their youth, the appearance of rivals at the height -Richards and Hwang are 20 years old- and the technology of current swimsuits, which are not made of plastic, but made of carbon that is increasingly lighter and more compressive.. Perhaps the 2024 Paris Games are the ideal scenario. Against him, that these are no longer times of miracles, of exaggerated improvements, of tricks. Maybe the story is over. And if Biedermann's world record in the 200-meter freestyle is impossible, and if it is beyond the reach of the human being, and if it will remain in the books for centuries.

It was 9:26 in the morning when a call came in to the emergency service in South Los Angeles, according to 'TMZ Sports'.. They were calling from the Galen Center because a young man had collapsed during a training session for the basketball team at the University of Southern California (USC).. The young man was Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA superstar Lebron James.

According to a statement issued by the family, the 18-year-old boy fainted while training due to a heart attack.. The university medical services managed to get him out of cardiac arrest, but the young man was immediately evacuated with a code 3, which indicates a serious emergency, to the hospital where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

LeBron Raymon “Bronny” James Jr.. He is already out of the UCI, as confirmed by the statement itself, but the family demands “maximum privacy” ensuring that they will expand the information to the media when it occurs.

Both Lebron and his wife, Savannah Brinson, have thanked in the same note the “incredible work and dedication” to the technical and medical staff of the University of Southern California for the “safety of athletes.”

Bronny had recently committed to the Trojans team, the team that represents USC. The young man could not yet debut in the biggest league in the world, the NBA, because he had to be 19 years old and a year had passed since his high school graduation..

The point guard had been one of the leading figures on the Sierra Canyon School team. The young man had averaged 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, almost three assists and two steals per game..

a star in the making

His father, Lebron James, had already publicly announced his intention to play his last year as a professional with his son “wherever he went” because “money was no longer going to be a priority”. Bronny was expected to appear in the 2024 Draft where one possibility was to be chosen by the Atlanta Hawks.

Bronny James is the highest paid amateur athlete in the world. Lebron's son, recently signed by Nike, has an estimated income of almost 6.5 million euros per year. Along with Nike, James Jr. also has contracts with PSD Underware and Beats by Dre. In addition, it is a social phenomenon with more than 14 million followers on social networks.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Tuesday the suspension of Colombian cyclist Miguel Ángel “Superman” López for “use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks prior to the 2022 Giro.”

Through an official statement, the international organization reported that the Team Medellín cyclist will be “provisionally” suspended pending a final decision on a final sanction.

The UCI explained that on the basis of an investigation carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA), “which includes evidence obtained from the Spanish police authorities (Guardia Civil) and the Spanish Anti-Doping Organization (CELAD)” and during the investigation of Dr.. Marcos Maynar, the cycling organization communicated this Tuesday to Miguel Ángel López “about a possible violation of the anti-doping rules (ADRV)”.

“Following the review of the information and material provided by the ITA on June 26 and July 7, 2023, the Colombian rider has been notified of a possible anti-doping rule violation for use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Giro d'Italia.. The UCI has decided to provisionally suspend the rider pending the final decision,” he added in the aforementioned statement.

Finally, he explained that since January 1, 2021, the operations of the UCI anti-doping program have been delegated to the ITA.. Investigations into potential anti-doping rule violations will therefore be carried out independently by the ITA and, once completed, its result is forwarded to the UCI for results management purposes.

“Bellingham has played a good game”. “He is a fantastic player”. “His best position is 10”. These are the phrases that Carlo Ancelotti said about Jude Bellingham in the appearance after his team's victory against Milan in Real Madrid's first pre-season game, in California.

The funny thing is that the coach's compliments sometimes responded to journalists' questions, but on others he simply had the Englishman's name on the tip of his tongue and it came out automatically.. It's no secret that the new Real Madrid gravitate to the 20-year-old British midfielder who cost Madrid €103m this summer from Borussia Dortmund.

The great proof of this is the change in the layout of the white team on the field, abandoning its usual 4-3-3. The system of three forwards has been a constant since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Chamartín. The famous BBC (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano) that evolved according to the name not only of the members of the squad, but also of the starting players.

There was a time when Bale stayed at the club more by career than by game, something similar to what happened with the presence of Eden Hazard, the brand new blue signing that never broke out in the white team and, in recent times, the alternation between Rodrygo, Asensio and Valverde on the right wing with the two indisputables, Vinicius, on the left, and the Ballon d'Or winner, Karim Benzema, in the central axis.

Last season, a year of many injuries for the forward from Olympique de Lyon, Ancelotti had already tried a different system on occasion: the 4-4-2, with the two Brazilians, Rodrygo and Vinicius at the forefront, but with the line of four in the middle of the field more parallel. However, the arrival of the Dortmund midfielder has added the rhombus to the Italian coach's slate. The four midfielders form a diamond with the Englishman in the lead behind the two forwards.

However, as a coach who “adapts to the players he has” knows well, as he stated, this new system needs time and practice.. “I liked the rhombus, we tried more to play inside than outside,” explained the Italian after the game at the Rose Bowl Arena against Milan.

But then, he also listed his weaknesses, at least the current ones.. “It's a system that we're trying and we'll wait to see how it works throughout the season,” the Italian began and then deepened: “We have to try to press more up, because with the rhombus we have a lot of central pressure and less lateral. Clearly, defensively it's not the best system, but I have to adapt the players to find a good defense-attack balance.”

In this new system, the offensive vocation of the full-backs is paramount, since they are responsible for giving the team width. In the first game, Dani Carvajal and Fran García did much better than Lucas Vázquez or Mendy. The Frenchman was also very erratic when he released the ball, something that the Italian coach did not like.

The new Real Madrid

Beyond the rhombus, Real Madrid 2023/24 is a team adapted to changing times. It's more upright and physical and perhaps less tap-and-pause. Only Kroos and Modric survive this style of play in the white team and both are in the final stretch of the races. Madrid, as with the signings of young players with projection, is renewing both its names and its style.

A player who represents this reinvention well in every way is the MVP of Madrid's first preseason game, Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan is essential for Ancelotti, as he demonstrated last season by giving him more than 2,500 minutes (more than 73 per game), despite not enjoying his best year, especially after the World Cup in Qatar.

Mbappé with his brother in a PSG training session. Christophe Ena AP

“The team has to get used to the extraordinary quality of Bellingham,” praised Ancelotti.. And to that of Valverde; Brahim's, with great flashes against Milan, Camavinga's, Tchouameni and all the media that will have a regular presence in this new diamond. And, perhaps, that of Kylian Mbappé.

Valverde remembered Mbappé at the end of the match against Milan and ranked him among “the best in the world”. “Not only now, but it will surely be for many years,” said the Uruguayan.

Meanwhile, the French player, separated from the PSG tour, is the subject of multiple rumors such as Barça's claim, according to 'L'Equipe', or the offer from Al-Hilal, from Arabia, who would pay 300 million euros for his transfer. Real Madrid, for the moment, continues without a pronouncement.

“We are the Guardians of the Galaxy,” announces Blai Mallarach and we must remind him that the reference is already somewhat old, although Marvel insists on sequels. The Guardians of the Galaxy are him and Felipe Perrone, 35 and 37 years old, the only two Spanish water polo players who have seen the universe burn and are still alive. “A few puretas”, admits Mallarach. A decade ago, the national team was left out of the World Cup, the players refused to be called up, the coaches lasted a breath in the position. Now she is the current champion who seeks to defend her title at the Fukuoka World Cup. This Tuesday they managed to come back against France in the quarterfinals (7-6) in another display of solidity, what was missing not so long ago. Thursday, semifinals.

What happened? It's the fault of David Martín, the coach. When he arrived in 2016, everything changed. Before, most of the coaches we had were based on physique and it was difficult for us to compete. Now David teaches us to play water polo, he focuses on tactics and that sets us apart. Each training is a class, he knows a lot and, above all, he is very educational. In water polo, just like in football or basketball, everything is invented, but it is very difficult for an entire team to know what to do. He gets it.

Mallarach's praise is shared by all levels of Spanish water polo: Martín has done the miracle. After Manel Estiarte, Jesús Rollán and company won Olympic gold at the Atlanta 1996 Games, Spain disappeared from the podiums and now it has returned in style. In the last two World Cups and the last three Europeans he has won a medal. It sounds easy, but it is not. Throughout the country, there are 10,000 men who play water polo, less than rugby, field hockey or roller hockey. Competing like this against Italy, Serbia, Croatia or Hungary has merit.

“Let's not fool ourselves, the structure remains the same. Water polo is a very minority sport in Spain. We have the drive of a club, Barceloneta, which always plays in the Champions League, and good coaches in lower categories. But whether the Spanish team wins depends on there being a good coach who will raise an entire generation. Every year. With alot of work. That is what has happened now,” analyzes Mallarach, who has lived through the entire process.

When Martín appeared after the Rio Games, he separated several veterans and handed the team over to a lot of kids: Alberto Munárriz, Miguel del Toro, Marc Larumbe, Álvaro Granados and so on until Unai Aguirre, who last year at the age of 19 became a starter in goal. They were all or were going to be for Barceloneta. They all believed that they could be world champions and last year in Budapest they were.

Was there a key moment in the process? Many, but especially the Tokyo Games. There we already had a positive dynamic, but we were not a winning team. We lost in the semifinals against Serbia, which was a logical defeat, and then we didn't know how to secure bronze. Finishing fourth in the Games was difficult to accept, but it was a tremendous learning experience. Helped us take the last pass. Since then we have won the World Cup and a couple of weeks ago, the World Cup, which was a title that Spain had never lifted.

“It has been a very nice evolution to live, more so having gone through years in which we did not win. I am very grateful to David and that is why whenever he calls me I will end up coming although after the Paris Games I see it as complicated. Felipe [Perrone, the captain] is still here because of his quality and I suppose because the youngsters are very good, but they are not left-handed,” jokes Mallarach, who left Barceloneta last year and will play for Sabadell next year.

The final of the last World Cup, against Italy, decided on penalties, will be remembered for centuries by water polo fans, but this Spain knows that to go down in posterity, to really ascend the altars of Estiarte, Rollán and company, it needs to culminate in the next Games in Paris 2024. “The comparison is continuous. That generation marked the whole world. Obviously we know that the Games are the Games, but we have to be proud of what we are achieving”, concludes one of the few veterans, of “the Guardians of the Galaxy”, of the team that, under the leadership of David Martín, has revived Spanish water polo.

Osasuna will be able to play the next Conference League. This has been confirmed by the “rojillo” club in a statement, confirming the acceptance of its appeal by the TAS.

“In view of the new evidence provided by the club in defense of its participation in the competition, UEFA has concluded that Osasuna was a victim of the events that occurred almost a decade ago and has valued the initiative carried out by the institution to clarify them.. Consequently, UEFA considers Osasuna suitable to participate in this edition of the European competition,” the club's statement read..

Therefore, Osasuna “will be present on August 7 in the draw for the Conference League playoff that will be held on August 24 and 31”.

The Navarrese club was sentenced by UEFA not to play this competition, despite having qualified, due to the match-fixing scandal in which it was involved in the 2013/2014 season. According to the sentence, Osasuna paid Betis a total of 400,000 euros so that they could beat Valladolid and avoid being relegated to the Second Division.

However, this decision by UEFA and the TAS, “puts an end, both in the ordinary courts and in sports justice, to the fight that the Navarrese entity has maintained during the last two months in defense of its rights and those of its partners”.

Due to presenting this appeal, “UEFA has opened a disciplinary procedure against Osasuna, which will not prevent its participation in the Conference League. The club will accept the penalty imposed by UEFA, before which it will not appeal.”.