Sara Curtis, Ralf Tribuntsov Break 50 Back NRs En Route To #1 Seeds

2025 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• December 2-7, 2025
• Lublin, Poland
• SCM (25 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3| Day 4

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• WR: 25.23 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• WJR: 25.95 – Mizuki Hirai, JPN (2025)
• ER: 25.60 – Kira Toussaint/Maria Kameneva, HUN /RUS (2020/2022)
• EJR: 26.03 – Sara Curtis (ITA) – 2024
• CR: 25.70 – Sanja Jovanovic, CRO (2009)

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Sara Curtis (ITA) – 25.97 Q
2. Lauren Cox (GBR) – 26.15 Q
3. Analia Pigree (FRA) – 26.39 Q
4. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 26.51 Q
5. Alice Velden (SWE) – 26.59 Q
6. Hanna Rosvall (SWE) – 26.63
7. Maike de Waard (NED)/Tessa Giele (NED) – 26.64 Q
8. –
9. Lora Komoroczy (HUN) – 26.68 Q
10. Martine Damborg (DEN) – 26.88 Q
11. Fanny Teihonsalo (FIN) – 26.98 Q
12. Victoria Bierre (DEN) – 27.03 Q
13. Kalia Antoniou (CYP) – 27.04 Q
14. Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN) – 27.06
15. Angelina Patt (SUI) – 27.09 Q
16. Adela Piskorska (POL) – 27.27 Q
17. Carmen Weiler Sastre (ESP) – 27.36 Q
18. Camila Rodrigues Rebelo (POR) – 27.37 Q

Sara Curtis, who has landed several new national records this week already, started out her fifth day of competition no differently. The UVA-trained Italian national topped the women’s 50 back prelims with a 25.97, the lone sub-26 in the field.

This undercuts her previous national record in the event: 26.03, which he went to get 6th place at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Budapest.

She stands as the lone European under 26 this season, putting a target on her back through the next two rounds of competition.

MEN’s 50 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• WR:22.11 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2022)
• WJR: 22.47  – Miron Lifintsev, RUS (2024)
• ER: 22.11 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2022)
• EJR: 22.47  – Miron Lifintsev, RUS (2024)
• CR: 22.47 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2021)

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST) – 22.86 Q
2. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) – 22.94 Q
3. Robert Pedersen (DEN) – 23.18 Q
4. Ollie Morgan (GBR) – 23.19 Q
5. Francesco Lazzari (ITA) – 23.21 Q
6. Ole Braunschweig (GER) – 23.27 Q
7. Lucien Vergnes (FRA) – 23.29 Q
8. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 23.30 Q
9. Mantas Kauspedas (LTU) – 23.31 Q
10. Mewen Tomac (FRA) – 23.34 Q
11. Aleksander Stys (POL) – 23.38 Q
12. Thierry Bollin (SUI) – 23.39 Q
13. Denis Laurean Popescu (ROU) – 23.42 Q
14. Ivan Martinez Sota (ESP) – 23.46 Q
15. Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 23.53 Q

Following Curtis’ Italian record showing, she handed the pool off to Estonia’s Ralf Tribuntsov, who did the same #1 seed/national record combo. Tribuntsov, 31, fired off a 22.86 to clear the 22.91 national mark he had previously set at the World Cup in Carmel.

Tribuntsov has rewritten his country’s backstroke record board this season, and he has the two more chances to continue tonight and tomorrow. In the medal race, he will face an on-fire Ollie Morgan and Miroslav Knedla, as well as Italy’s Francesco Lazzari, who has been as swift as 22.76 this year.