Sara Curtis
Sara Curtis was born in Savigliano, Italy, on August 19, 2006, to an Italian father and a Nigerian mother.
A sprint freestyle and backstroke specialist, Curtis has become one of the leading figures of Italy’s new generation. From junior international success to Olympic finals, NCAA relays and senior European records, her rise has been one of the fastest in Italian swimming.
2022
Curtis first emerged internationally in 2022 as a member of Italy’s Junior National Team.
At the European Junior Championships in Otopeni, Romania, she won gold in the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay and added bronze medals in the 50 freestyle and the 4×100 medley relay.
Later that year, at the World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, Curtis collected four more medals: silver in the 50 freestyle, silver in the women’s 4×100 medley relay, silver in the mixed 4×100 medley relay, and bronze in the 50 backstroke.
2023
Curtis began moving into the senior international scene during the 2023–24 season.
At the 2023 European Short Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania, she won two silver medals with Italy’s women’s 4×50 freestyle relay and mixed 4×50 freestyle relay, confirming her ability to contribute at senior level while still competing as a junior.
2024
On March 8, 2024, during the heats of the Italian Championships in Riccione, Curtis broke both the Italian senior record and the European Junior record in the women’s 50 freestyle, swimming 24.56. The performance also secured her qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
One month later, at the Italian Junior Championships, she produced another historic swim in the short course 50 backstroke. Her time of 26.08 broke the Italian senior record, the European Junior record, and the World Junior record.
Curtis continued her junior dominance at the 2024 European Junior Championships in Vilnius, winning individual gold medals in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 50 backstroke, along with three relay medals.
At the Paris Olympic Games, Curtis made her Olympic debut at 17 years old. She reached the semifinals of the women’s 50 freestyle, finishing 14th overall, and was part of Italy’s women’s 4×100 freestyle relay, which finished eighth in the Olympic final.
At the end of the year, Curtis also represented Italy at the 2024 World Short Course Championships in Budapest, winning gold with the mixed 4×50 freestyle relay and reaching individual finals in the 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke.
2025
The 2025 season marked Curtis’ full breakthrough at senior level.
At the Italian Championships in Riccione, she broke Federica Pellegrini’s long-standing Italian record in the women’s 100 freestyle, swimming 53.01 to erase the previous mark of 53.18 set in 2016. The swim qualified her for the 2025 World Championships and placed her at the top of the world rankings at that point of the season.
Two days later, she lowered the Italian record in the women’s 50 freestyle to 24.43.
Shortly after those performances, Curtis announced her commitment to the University of Virginia, joining one of the strongest collegiate swimming programs in the United States under head coach Todd DeSorbo.
At the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, Curtis reached the final of the women’s 100 freestyle, finishing eighth in 53.41. She also set an Italian record in the heats of the 50 freestyle with a 24.41, advancing to the semifinals and placing ninth overall. She also competed for Italy in the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×100 medley relay.
In December, at the 2025 European Short Course Championships in Lublin, Curtis delivered the most successful international meet of her career to that point. She won seven medals: gold in the 50 backstroke, mixed 4×50 freestyle relay and mixed 4×50 medley relay; silver in the 50 freestyle and women’s 4×50 freestyle relay; and bronze in the 100 freestyle and women’s 4×50 medley relay.
During the meet, she set a world record with Italy’s mixed 4×50 freestyle relay, a European record in the 50 backstroke, and multiple Italian records, including in the 100 freestyle and 50 backstroke.
2026
Curtis made an immediate impact in her first NCAA season with Virginia.
At the 2026 NCAA Championships, she helped Virginia win four relay titles: the 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay. Individually, she finished second in the 50-yard freestyle in 20.74 and third in the 100-yard freestyle in 45.77, becoming one of the fastest freshmen in NCAA history in the event. She also placed 13th in the 100 butterfly.
At the ACC Championships, Curtis won the 50 freestyle in 21.09 and helped Virginia win additional relay titles.
Returning to long-course competition in Italy, Curtis continued to rewrite the national record book. At the 2026 Italian Championships, she set Italian records in the 50 backstroke with 27.33 and the 50 freestyle with 24.29. She also won the 100 freestyle in 53.40 and the 50 butterfly in 25.89, qualifying for the 2026 European Championships in all four events.
Her momentum carried into the 2026 Trofeo Settecolli in Rome, where she produced one of the finest meets of her career. In the opening session, she lowered the Italian record in the 50 backstroke to 27.23, then broke both the Italian and European records in the final with 27.07.
The following day, Curtis became the first Italian woman to break the 53-second barrier in the 100 freestyle, lowering her national record to 52.69.
She closed the meet by breaking the Italian record in the 50 freestyle once again, swimming 24.09 in the final. Over three days at the Foro Italico, Curtis set one European record and four Italian records, confirming her status as one of Europe’s leading sprint swimmers.
