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. 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.