Intesa Sanpaolo has published a profile on Italian swimmer Sara Curtis, presenting her as one of the country’s leading young athletes and an emerging international talent. The piece frames Curtis’s development through a mix of results, personal background and sporting values, and links her story to the bank’s broader support for young people and elite sport. The article also includes an interview segment with Curtis and Giovane Tony.
Curtis, born in Savigliano in 2006, is described as a natural sprint specialist who has built her rise through steady progress across freestyle and backstroke. The profile says her early promise was visible in junior competition, where she collected five world medals and 15 European medals at age-group level. That progression has continued in senior racing, especially in relay events, where she has already contributed to major team results, including the Italian Championships in Riccione.
The Intesa Sanpaolo text places particular emphasis on Curtis’s record progression. It says 2025 was the year she established the Italian records in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle, with the 100-metre mark previously held by Federica Pellegrini. In the same year, she also lowered the national records in the 50 freestyle in both short and long course, the 100 freestyle in both pool formats, and the 50 backstroke, underscoring the breadth of her sprint profile.
The article then details a standout run at the 2026 Italian Championships in Riccione. Curtis helped the Centro Sportivo Esercito win the women’s 4x100 freestyle relay, then took the national title in the 50 backstroke in 27.33, breaking Silvia Scalia’s previous Italian record of 27.39. She also won the 100 and 50 freestyle events; in the latter, she improved her own Italian record to 24.29 in the morning before winning the final later that day. Her week ended with another title, the 50 butterfly, won in 25.89.
Intesa Sanpaolo also highlights Curtis’s performance at the 62nd Settecolli Trophy in Rome. There she won gold in the 50 backstroke with a new European and Italian record of 27.07, described in the profile as the fifth-fastest performance ever globally. In the 100 freestyle she became the first Italian woman to swim under 53 seconds, finishing in 52.69 and again lowering her national record. She added bronze in the 50 freestyle with another Italian record, clocking 24.09 in a race won by Gretchen Walsh in a world-record time, with Sarah Sjöström taking part after returning to competition following maternity leave.
The profile says Curtis’s medal collection now stands at 19 Italian titles and nine European medals. It also notes that she is currently training and studying at the University of Virginia, a programme the text identifies as one of the most competitive in world swimming and a place where athletes including the Walsh sisters and Claire Curzan have developed. Intesa Sanpaolo closes by saying Curtis’s partnership with the group reflects its effort to support emerging talent and use sport as a way to connect with younger generations.
