Teen Italian star Sara Curtis breaks 50m backstroke world record again

Italian teenage sensation Sara Curtis has once again shattered the women's 50m backstroke world record, marking the second time this week she has claimed the global benchmark. Competing at the European Championships in Paris, the 19-year-old secured the gold medal with a blistering time of 26.56 seconds. This performance shaved another 0.07 seconds off the record she had set just a day earlier in the semifinals, which clocked in at 26.63 seconds. Prior to this week's remarkable achievements, the record was held by Australian swimming legend Kaylee McKeown. Curtis's historic week also marks her as the first Black swimmer to hold an individual long-course world record. She is the daughter of a Nigerian mother and an Italian father. In the Paris final, France's Mary-Ambre Moluh finished second, half a second behind Curtis, with Britain's Lauren Cox taking bronze. Curtis expressed her elation, telling Italian TV station Rai 2, "I'm happy I managed it again. It's absurd, another crazy feat." This marks her third medal at the championships, having also won bronze in the 100m freestyle and silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Curtis has been consistently approaching this record throughout the season, having previously broken Italian and European records. She admitted that since moving to Virginia to train, the world record had been her singular focus: "A dream and an immense goal."

“

I'm happy I managed it again. It's absurd, another crazy feat.