David Popovici Faces Another Winter of Poor Training Conditions as Lia Manoliu Pool Upgrade Remains a Lost Dream

David Popovici is preparing for another winter of training far below the standards expected of elite sport. At the Lia Manoliu National Sports Complex, the covered Olympic pool remains unavailable, and modernization work has not even begun.

Without another option, swimmers must use the outdoor pool, protected from the cold by a pressurized dome. For Popovici, who has trained at Lia Manoliu since he was four, the same situation returns year after year. The project for the indoor pool has again become the subject of legal disputes, casting doubt on whether athletes will soon have normal training conditions.

The indoor Olympic pool has been closed since 2018. Despite repeated calls, including from Popovici, the infrastructure used to prepare high-performance athletes has not been repaired. The Romanian champion has repeatedly highlighted the conditions in which he trains during winter and the difficulty created by the lack of a functioning Olympic pool.

The modernization project has appeared on the National Investment Company’s list since 2016, but construction has never started. The latest tender opened on Jan. 15, 2026, with bids due by March 4. Officials had planned to open the construction site during the summer, but several companies challenged the award procedure.

The estimated contract value starts at 62.43 million lei excluding VAT and could reach 65.5 million lei if additional work is required. The project covers the design, reinforcement, rehabilitation and modernization of the indoor swimming and diving pools on Maior Ion Coravu Street. On June 16, the National Investment Company named a consortium led by Palex Construcții Instalații as the winner. Five challenges were then submitted to the National Council for Solving Complaints. On Aug. 18, the council partly upheld challenges from Hidro Salt-B-92 and Băiculescu Construct and annulled the decision declaring Palex’s bid the winner.