By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam
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Italian sprint specialist Sara Curtis announced her commitment to join the University of Virginia this fall on Friday, fresh off a sensational performance at the Italian Championships in Riccone. There, Curtis booked her ticket to the 2025 World Aquatic Championships in historic fashion. She broke her 50-meter freestyle national record twice in one day, bringing it down to a 24.43, and took down Federica Pellegrini’s 100-meter freestyle Italian record with a 53.01.
“I’m so happy to announce my verbal commitment to continue my swimming and academic journey at the University of Virginia!I’d love to thank my family, friends and coaches for supporting me in this decision. I’m incredibly greatful for this amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to start this adventure in August! Go Hoos!”
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Curtis’ performances this week cemented her as the current face of Italian women’s sprinting, but it is a reputation she has been working towards for years. She won four medals at the 2022 World Junior Championships, including silver in the 50-meter freestyle. Two years later, she earned three individual golds at the European Junior Championships, winning the 50/100 freestyle and 50 backstroke, plus three relay medals (two gold, one silver).
Curtis won her first medal at a major senior international meet in December, helping Italy to gold in the mixed 4×50-meter freestyle relay at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. She also placed sixth in the 50-meter backstroke (26.03) and seventh in the 50-meter freestyle (23.76) at the championships, swimming lifetime bests in both finals.
Best Times (LCM/SCM):
* denotes Italian record
50 freestyle: 24.43*/23.76 100 freestyle: 53.01*/52.37 50 backstroke: 27.90/26.03*Curtis needed to get special clearances to swim for Virginia, as she swims for the military in Italy. But, on paper, this looks like a strong match for both Curtis and the Cavalier women. Todd DeSorbo has a well-proven track record of success with his women’s team, coaching multiple Olympians to the next level of their career. Most relevantly for Curtis, that success includes coaching Kate Douglass to an American record in the 50-meter freestyle (23.91) and sprinter Gretchen Walsh to dizzying heights over the last 12 months, including 11 world records and seven golds at the 2204 Short Course World Championships.
That success also includes coaching another Italian, Jasmine Nocentini, to a 2024 NCAA title in the 100-yard breaststroke with the second-fastest swim in history (56.09). Nocentini thrived at Virginia as the sprint free/breaststroke hybrid they’ve specialized in. She also placed third in the 50-yard freestyle (21.10) and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle (47.00) at the 2024 NCAAs.
The Virginia women recently won a fifth-straight NCAA Championship. The win closed a chapter of the dynasty they’ve built since the pandemic, as it marked the end of the Douglass-Walsh-Walsh era that defined so much of the team’s success during its five-championship streak. The Cavalier women still hold the edge ahead of the 2025-26 season, especially with names like Claire Curzan and Katie Grimes still on the roster. However, Virginia does find itself in a new “reinvention” phase as they look to maintain their advantage in the sprint events after the graduations of G. Walsh and Maxine Parker. Picking up a transfer commitment from NCAA DII record holder Bryn Greenwaldt a few weeks ago was a start, and now Curtis gives them another strong card to play.
Curtis’ primary events make her the kind of swimmer that thrives in an NCAA Championship format and while there will be an adjustment period to yards, her success in the long and short-course meter pools should translate to a huge point haul at the NCAA Championships. Additionally, she should be a factor on four of the five Virginia relays. Her arrival should give the Cavaliers the type of options they love to have for their medley relays as in addition to being able to swim back or free, her arrival gives them options for how to deploy Curzan.
Curtis will arrive on campus this fall along with Virginia’s other class of 2025 recruits, including #4 Madi Mintenko, #13 Raya Mellott, HM Sophia Umstead, BOTR Sylvia Roy, and BOTR Lily Gormsen.
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