Italian teenager Curtis breaks 50m backstroke record

Italian teenager Sara Curtis broke the women’s 50m backstroke world record at the European championships with a blistering swim in Paris on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old clocked 26.63sec in winning her semi-final, bettering the previous mark set by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown three years ago by 0.23sec.

Curtis took bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle on Tuesday, but will now be a strong favourite in Thursday’s 50m back final.

She adds the world record to the short-course European record she set in the event in Poland last year.

“She just put on a masterclass in front of some of the best backstrokers on the planet, so that’s pretty impressive,” said Frenchwoman Analia Pigree, who will face Curtis in Thursday’s final.

A year after giving birth to her first child, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom was crowned European champion in the 50m butterfly for the sixth time.

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.

She secured her 18th European title and now boasts a 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 14-time world champion Sjostrom.

“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.”

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.

Romanian star David Popovici secured his third consecutive European 100m freestyle title with a championship record of 46.56sec, the third-fastest time ever and just 16 hundredths off Pan Zhanle’s world record.

Russian Egor Kornev, who won 50m butterfly gold on Tuesday, had to settle for silver, with Hungary’s Kristof Milak third.

All three medallists touched the wall in under 47 seconds — only Pan and Popovici are now above Kornev in the all-time list.