Italian teenager Sara Curtis made history at the European Championships in Paris on Wednesday, shattering the women’s 50m backstroke world record. The 19-year-old clocked a blistering 26.63 seconds during her semi-final heat, bettering the previous world record established by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown three years ago by 0.23 seconds. Having already secured a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle on Tuesday, Curtis now enters Thursday’s final as the heavy favorite to claim gold. This achievement complements the short-course European record she set in Poland last year.
French swimmer Analia Pigree, who is set to face Curtis in the final, was quick to praise the performance. “She just put on a masterclass in front of some of the best backstrokers on the planet, so that’s pretty impressive,” Pigree remarked. The atmosphere in Paris remains electric as other stars continue to push boundaries, with Leon Marchand notably targeting a second gold medal at the swimming worlds while having previously shattered long-standing world records in his own discipline.
In the women’s 50m butterfly, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom proved her enduring dominance. A year after giving birth to her first child, the 32-year-old claimed her sixth European title in the event with a time of 25.05 seconds. This victory marks her 18th European title overall, and she now boasts an incredible total of 99 international medals since making her debut at the age of 14 at the European championships in Rome. “It’s wonderful to be back at this level; I never would have thought it possible a few months ago,” said the 14-time world champion. “I’m glad I took the chance, and I’m glad my body is still holding up. I don’t take any of this for granted, so I’m thrilled.”
The men’s 100m freestyle saw Romanian star David Popovici secure his third consecutive European title. He clocked a championship record of 46.56 seconds, the third-fastest time in history and just 16 hundredths of a second off Pan Zhanle’s world record. Russian swimmer Egor Kornev took silver, while Hungary’s Kristof Milak finished third. All three medallists finished under 47 seconds, highlighting the immense depth of the field. Popovici, who won Olympic gold in the 200m two years ago, noted, “It was a very good race—I had very capable competitors, and I’m excited to see how these rivalries develop.”
Hungary’s Hubert Kos added to his impressive trophy cabinet by winning the men’s 200m backstroke gold. Having achieved a new European record in the semi-finals, the 23-year-old clocked 1:53.08 in the final. While Kos had previously won the Olympic title in Paris two years ago and world titles in 2023 and 2025, this victory marked his first-ever continental trophy.
In the women’s 100m breaststroke, Britain’s Angharad Evans claimed her first European title with a championship record time of 1:04.87. This performance continues a streak of excellence for Evans, who recently secured two golds at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Ellen Walshe celebrated her first major long-course title by winning the 400m medley, finishing 0.70 seconds ahead of Britain’s Amalie Smith.
The Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen enjoyed a standout week, securing her eighth European title in the women’s 4x100m free relay. Starting the anchor leg with her team in third place, Steenbergen clocked a 51.34-second split—0.32 seconds faster than her own individual world record—to comfortably overhaul the Italian team.
Germany’s 19-year-old rising star Johannes Liebmann dominated the men’s 800m freestyle, winning with a continental record of 7:37.59. He finished more than three-and-a-half seconds ahead of compatriot Sven Schwarz, while Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany took bronze. Reigning Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen of Ireland finished in fourth place.
Away from the pool, the sporting world mourned the loss of Italian football defender Franco Baresi, who passed away at 66. Additionally, tennis star Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open due to a knee injury, and broader concerns remain as Europe continues to set new temperature records amid ongoing heat waves.
Italian 19-year-old sets 50m backstroke world mark, eyes European gold next
The three-time Olympic champion, who has held the world record in the event since 2014, won the final with a time of 25.05 seconds in Paris.
In the final, the 32-year-old finished ahead of Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk in 25.12 and fellow Swede Sara Junevik who clocked 25.51.
The 21-year-old took Olympic bronze in the 100m free two years ago in Paris and won gold in the 200m.
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