2024 ITALIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
- Tuesday, March 5th – Saturday, March 9th
- Riccione, Italy
- LCM (50m)
- ITA Olympic Qualification Criteria
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- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
After a relatively quiet past couple of days at the Italian Olympic Trials, a big swim came out of the women’s 50m freestyle heats on day four of the competition.
17-year-old Sara Curtis busted out a time of 24.56 to lead the pack, setting herself apart from the field by well over half a second en route to landing lane 4 for tonight’s final.
Curtis’ outing not only checked in as a monster personal best but it also established a new Italian national record and European Junior Record in the event.
The former Italian national record stood at the 24.72 Silvia Di Pietro put on the books at the 2022 European Championshps while the European Junior Record rested at the 24.87 Russia’s Daria Tatarinova logged in 2021.
Entering this competition, Curtis’ lifetime best rested at 24.91, a mark she produced in the semi-finals of last year’s World Junior Championships. There in Netanya, Israel, she ultimately placed 4th with a final time there of 25.15.
Top 5 Italian Women’s LCM 50 Freestyle Performers All-Time
- Sara Curtis – 24.56, 2024
- Silvia Di Pietro – 24.72, 2022
- Costanza Cocconcelli – 24.90, 2021
- Federica Pelligrini – 24.92, 2019
- Erika Ferraioli – 25.02, 2014
Additionally, Curtis’ morning head-turner dipped under the Italian Swimming Federation-mandated qualification time of 24.69 needed to add her name to the Olympic roster in this event for the time being. This evening’s final race will determine if Curtis’ time keeps her there so long as no one beats her and her time.
WOMEN’S 50 FREE TOP 8 FROM THE HEATS
- Sara Curtis 24.56 EJ-RI qualified for the Olympics
- Costanza Cocconcelli 25.33
- Chiara Tarantino 25.54
- Cristiana Stevanato 25.55
- Maria Agata Ambler 25.67
- Emma Virginia Menicucci 25.79
- Matilde Biagiotti 25.87
- Sonia Laquintana 25.88
Curtis already produced a new personal best in the 100m free earlier in the competition. Her time of 54.31 established a new Italian record in the cadet category, overtaking the 54.40 Federica Pellgrini turned in 20 years ago.
Isn’t Curtis an unusual surname for an Italian?
If you wanna imply something say it out loud so that people can laugh openly at your ignorance
Curtis is 100% an Italian surname btw
Jeez, why would you get so annoyed by such a simple question? I honestly wondered if her father’s family had some English ancestors. I know a lot of people named Curtis, but I don’t think any of them are Italian. I don’t understand all the anger in this comment section! I never heard of Sara before, so I was curious.
Same as Lamont Marcel Jacobs, Italy seem to struggle to produce their own performers
Marcell Jacobs’ mum is Italian…
Sara is entirely a product of ours. Born, raised, coached here. Check your facts.
Is Ragaini italian enough to you?
Ah, the world is populated by strange people
He is as Italian as pizza margherita, I live in his hometown of Castelplanio AN and have seen him growing up, so I can assure you he is 100% Italian.
Absolutely not. Curtis is a Latin word
It is a very usual surname, on the contrary.
The problem is that you don’t know the correct pronunciation of Curtis. It’s like Coortees.
Anyway, Sara’s Dad is italian, her mother comes from Nigeria.
This 24.56 is 3 hundredths of a second better than the winning time of Olivia Wunsch at last September Junior Worlds, the pinnacle of “Wunsch’ time”. Now it’s Curtis’ time!