Sette Colli, Day 1: Sara Curtis Lowers 50 Backstroke European Report; Kristof Milak, Gui Caribe Impress
On the heels of a stellar freshman marketing campaign on the College of Virginia, Sara Curtis continues to document performances that recommend her capacity to contend for medals within the dash occasions at main worldwide competitions. Competing on dwelling soil on the Sette Colli meet in Rome, Curtis produced a large effort within the girls’s 50 backstroke to decrease the European document and turn out to be the fifth-fastest performer in historical past.
Curtis received the occasion in 27.07, beating the earlier European document of 27.10 set by Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands in 2021. Curtis lowered the Italian document of 27.23 she set in prelims, which in flip knocked a tenth off her home mark of 27.33 from April. The one swimmers to ever swim quicker instances are Australian world-record holder Kaylee McKeown, American world champion Katharine Berkoff and the Chinese language duo of Liu Xiang and Zhao Jing. In Rome, Curtis completed forward of countrywomen Costanza Cocconcelli (27.83) and Chiara Lamanna (28.28.).
The highest males’s efficiency of the day got here from Hungary’s Kristof Milak within the 100 butterfly, his efficiency of fifty.47 adequate to carry Noè Ponti at bay by 4 tenths. Milak, the reigning Olympic gold medalist with a greatest time of 49.68 rating third all-time, is trying to regain prime type after struggling in 2025 and withdrawing from the World Championships. Ponti positioned second in 50.89 whereas Italy’s Michele Busa got here in third (51.57).
Brazil’s Gui Caribe blazed to a time of 21.46 within the 50 freestyle. That matched Caribe’s greatest time, first achieved final April, which ranks him in a tie for twenty eighth all-time. Romania’s David Popovici, the reigning world champion within the 100 and 200 free, posted a robust time of 21.82 to complete second with Italy’s Leonardo Deplano third in 21.90.
The reigning world champion within the 50 breaststroke topped one in all his fiercest home rivals. Simone Cerasuolo received the occasion in 26.63, lower than a tenth slower behind his gold-medal time from the World Championships and simply forward of Ludovico Viberti (26.74). Viberti completed 2025 with the world’s quickest time of 26.27, recorded on the identical Sette Colli meet in June 2026. Russia’s Ivan Kozhakin positioned third in 26.77, adopted by veterans Ilya Shymanovich (27.02) and Nicolo Martinenghi (27.07) whereas Germany’s Melvin Imodou clocked 26.96 within the B-final.
The ladies’s breaststroke race held Friday was the 100, the place Benedetta Pilato overtook countrywoman and early chief Lisa Angiolini for the win. Pilato, the 2022 world titlist within the 100 breast, clocked 1:05.85. Mona McSharry, the veteran from Eire who touched out Pilato for the bronze medal within the 2024 Olympic ultimate, got here in second at 1:06.30 whereas Angiolini fell to 3rd (1:06.53). Tes Schouten, the Dutch swimmer higher recognized for her 200-meter success, additionally scorched the opening half and ended up fourth (1:06.65).
Within the girls’s 200 free, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey continues to spherical into type. The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist received her race by greater than two seconds with a time of 1:55.00, properly away from Italians Alessandra Mao (1:57.24) and Anna Chiara Mascolo (1:58.16) plus American Alex Walsh (1:58.39). Marrit Steenbergen, who earlier this 12 months turned the second-fastest 100 freestyler in historical past, swam a time of 1:56.02 to prime the comfort ultimate.
Apostolos Christou shined within the males’s 50 again with a time of 24.40. The veteran from Greece got here in simply 4 hundredths behind his 2022 greatest time of 24.36, which ranks twenty second all-time. The Italian duo of Francesco Lazzari (24.69) and Michele Lamberti (24.82) accomplished the top-three. Within the males’s 400 free, Italy’s Marco de Tullio went wire-to-wire on the best way to a cushty win. He completed in 3:45.10, forward of countrymen Alessandro Ragaini (3:46.96) and Luca de Tullio (3:47.39), with Brazilian veteran Guilherme Costa taking fourth (3:47.84).
Meet Outcomes
