Italian teen Sara Curtis shatters 50m backstroke world record at European Championships

At the European Aquatics Championships, Italy's 19-year-old Sara Curtis broke the women's 50-metre backstroke world record, touching the wall in 26.63 seconds during the semifinals. The previous record of 26.86, set by Australia's Kaylee McKeown in Budapest last October, was surpassed by nearly a quarter of a second. Curtis, who previously recorded a 27.07 in June—the joint ninth-fastest time ever—has been a dominant force in junior competition, winning six European junior titles and three golds at last year's short-course championships.

This performance marks her first major long-course gold and positions her for the final scheduled for Thursday. The 50-metre sprint events, including backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke, will debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, raising the profile of this discipline. Upcoming meets include the Pan-Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, and the World Aquatics Championships slated for July 2027.