Italian teen Sara Curtis breaks women’s 50m backstroke world record for second time
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Sara Curtis takes the start of the final of the women’s 50m backstroke during the LEN European Aquatics Championships on Aug 13, in Saint-Denis, Paris.
PHOTO: AFP
PARIS – Italian teenager Sara Curtis broke the women’s 50m backstroke world record for the second time in as many days at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris on Aug 13.
The 19-year-old clocked 26.56 seconds on her way to gold in the final, a day after lowering the mark with 26.63sec in the semi-finals to better Australian Kaylee McKeown’s time from three years ago by 0.23sec.
France’s Mary-Ambre Moluh took silver in 27.06sec and Britain’s Lauren Cox bronze, 0.59sec off the pace.
Curtis adds the world record to the short-course European record she set in the event in Poland in 2025.
It was also her second medal of the championships after she took bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle on Aug 11.
“I’m absolutely delighted. It’s hard to come to terms with the emotions of yesterday’s record,” Curtis told Italian Rai TV.
“I struggled to get to sleep last night. I really did try to pick up the pace over the last 15m. It’s unbelievable. I’m so happy. A dream, a huge goal.”
With both records coming on either side of the total solar eclipse on Aug 12, Curtis joked to Sky Sports that she would get the natural phenomenon tattooed on herself to honour the moment.
“I’ve already given myself my 20th birthday present. I hope I can treat myself to more, but world records are the best present I could ever have given myself,” added the Savigliano native, who will celebrate her birthday on Aug 19.
Italy’s Sara Curtis celebrates winning the women’s 50m backstroke final and setting a new world record.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Earlier, Olympic champion Kristof Milak set a new European record in the men’s 100m butterfly final.
The Hungarian clocked 49.48sec to snatch gold ahead of world champion Maxime Grousset of France.
Grousset had been leading after the first length, but was caught in the final 25m, finishing in 49.70sec. Swiss Noe Ponti took bronze in 49.93.
Milak then showcased his class as he anchored Hungary to gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay in a championship-record time of 3min 10.03sec.
The 26-year-old’s 46.29sec leg catapulted Hungary to the top of the podium ahead of neutral athletes from Russia in second and Croatia in third.
British 18-year-old Filip Nowacki pipped the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau to the 200m breaststroke title by 0.08sec.
The Commonwealth Games champion took gold in 2:07.70, with Corbeau second and Austrian Luka Mladenovic (2:08.91) rounding off the podium.
Barbora Seemanova saw off Marrit Steenbergen to secure the 200m free gold in a championship record 1:54.38.
It was the 26-year-old Czech swimmer’s career third European gold medal in the event.
Dutchwoman Steenbergen, who was 0.27sec behind her, bagged the silver, while Britain’s Freya Colbert claimed the bronze.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Florent Manaudou, who won the 50m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics, announced he would bid farewell to the sport on Aug 15 at the European meet.
“Two years later, I’m announcing the end,” the 35-year-old told France TV on Aug 13, referring to the fact that he has not competed since the 2024 Paris Games, where he claimed bronze in his signature event.
Manaudou, one of France’s greatest swimmers, departs with six Olympic medals. As well as the gold in 2012, he captured three silvers and two bronzes across appearances at four Games.
The younger brother of Laure, 2004 Olympic champion, also bagged multiple world championship titles. AFP, REUTERS
