David Curtiss (swimmer) facts for kids
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| Born | July 4, 2002 Yardley, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| Website | https://www.davidcurtiss.org | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Hamilton Y (former) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | North Carolina State University (Former) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Sue Welsh (former) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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David Avery Curtiss (born July 4, 2002) is an American professional swimmer. He holds a US Open record in the 4×50-yard medley relay. At the 2019 World Junior Championships, he won a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle. In 2021, he set a new American high school record in the 50-yard freestyle. This record was for all high school swimming, both public and private, in the United States.
At the 2022 World Short Course Championships, he earned a bronze medal. This was in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He is also a 2023 NCAA Division I champion. He won this title in the 4×50-yard medley relay.
Contents
- David Curtiss's Early Life and School
- David Curtiss's Swimming Career
- David Curtiss's International Races
- David Curtiss's Achievements
- Awards and Special Mentions
- About David Curtiss
- See also
David Curtiss's Early Life and School
David Curtiss was born on July 4, 2002, in Yardley, Pennsylvania. As he grew up, he swam for the Hamilton Y Aquatic Club. This club was in Hamilton, New Jersey. His coach there was Sue Welsh.
For high school, he went to The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey. He competed on the school's swim team. In the fall of 2021, Curtiss began swimming for North Carolina State University. He chose to study criminology and psychology. He also learned Arabic as a foreign language.
David Curtiss's Swimming Career
Becoming a Young Swimming Star (2014–2016)
When David was 11, the swimming news site SwimSwam noticed him. They called him a "Weekly Wonder of Age Group Swimming." This was because he swam the 50-freestyle almost three seconds faster than the year before. He earned this honor two more times. These were in 2015 and 2016. Both times were for his great swims in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and 100-yard backstroke.
Teenage Success in Swimming (2018–2020)
In April 2018, Curtiss swam his fastest 50-yard freestyle time yet. He finished in 19.75 seconds. This made him the fifth fastest American swimmer in history for boys aged 15–16. He was just behind famous swimmer Michael Andrew.
He competed in three events at the 2019 National Championships. This was in July and August 2019 in Stanford, California. He placed 5th in the 50-meter freestyle.
Winning Silver at Junior World Championships (2019)
| 2019 World Junior Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 50 m freestyle | 22.14 |
At the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, David represented the USA. In the 50-meter freestyle semifinals, he swam a 21.95. This made him the third fastest American in his age group for that event. He won the silver medal in the final, finishing second with a time of 22.14.
Later that year, David was named to the US National Team. This was for his fast 50-freestyle times. His time of 21.95 seconds tied for fifth among the men on the 2020–2021 US national team.
Setting High School Records (2020)
In February 2020, David swam a 19.42 in the 50-yard freestyle for his high school team. This broke the national private school record. The old record was 19.54, set by Ryan Murphy in 2012.
Continued Success and Olympic Trials (2021)
Fast Starts at Pro Swim Series (2021)
Before the US Olympic Trials, David swam his fastest 50-meter freestyle. He finished in 21.87 seconds at a Pro Swim Series meet in Richmond, Virginia. This was the 5th fastest time in the world in January 2021.
Breaking More High School Records (2021)
In February 2021, David swam a 19.77 in the 50-yard freestyle. This caught the attention of Swimming World. On March 3, 2021, he broke his own private high school record. He swam the 50-yard freestyle in 19.26 seconds. Just three days later, David swam an amazing 19.11 seconds. This made him the fastest swimmer in the 50-yard freestyle in American high school history.
YMCA National Record (2021)
David also set a new national YMCA record. He swam the 50-yard freestyle in 19.33 seconds.
First Olympic Trials Experience (2020/2021)
David competed in his first Olympic Trials in June 2021. The 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials were held in Omaha, Nebraska. They were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He swam the 50-meter freestyle. He made it to the final, finishing 6th. He did not make the US Olympic Team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. David said he was not upset. He focused on the 2024 Summer Olympics and his college swimming career.
Joining the National Team (2021)
His fast swims earned him a spot on the 2021—2022 US National Team. He was one of six swimmers from NC State Wolfpack to join the team.
College and International Races (2022)
ACC Championships Success (2022)
In February 2022, David swam his fastest 50-yard freestyle time. He finished in 18.77 seconds at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. This made him the fourth-fastest male freshman in NCAA history. He then won the 50-yard freestyle final with a time of 18.74 seconds.
NCAA Championships Debut (2022)
| 2022 NCAA Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 4×50 yd medley | 1:21.69 |
At the 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta in March, David helped his team. The NC State Wolfpack 4×50-yard medley relay team finished third. David swam the freestyle part of the relay.
International Team Trials (2022)
At the 2022 USA Swimming International Team Trials in Greensboro, North Carolina, David swam the 50-meter freestyle. He finished first in the final with a time of 21.80 seconds. In July, he was chosen for the United States team for the 2022 Duel in the Pool. He helped the US win against Australia. He also won the 50-meter freestyle event.
Winning at the U.S. Open (2022)
At the 2022 U.S. Open Swimming Championships in Greensboro, David won the gold medal. He finished the 50-meter freestyle in 21.92 seconds.
World Short Course Championships (2022)
| 2022 World Championships (SC) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 4×100 m freestyle | 3:05.09 (h) |
In October, David was named to his first senior international team. This was for the 2022 World Short Course Championships in Melbourne, Australia. He helped the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team get to the final. He earned a bronze medal for his part in the preliminary race.
New Challenges and Victories (2023)
At the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville, Tennessee, David won the 50-meter freestyle. He was the only swimmer to finish under 22.00 seconds.
In September 2023, David announced he was leaving NC State Swimming and Diving. He shared that it was a tough decision. He thanked the staff and his teammates for teaching him important life lessons. He said he would carry the "wisdom and pride of the Wolfpack" with him.
More ACC Championships (2023)
At the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in February, David helped his team win. He anchored the 4×50-yard medley relay to a conference title. He also helped win the 4×50-yard freestyle relay. He finished fourth in the 50-yard freestyle. He also helped win the 4×100-yard freestyle relay. His efforts helped the NC State Wolfpack men's team win the overall conference title.
NCAA Championships Gold (2023)
| 2023 NCAA Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 4×50 yd medley | 1:20.67 (CR) |
| Bronze | 4×50 yd freestyle | 1:14.44 |
At the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, David won a gold medal. This was in the 4×50-yard medley relay. He also won a bronze medal in the 4×50-yard freestyle relay.
Olympic Trials (2024)
2024 US Olympic Trials
David Curtiss competed in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2024 USA Swimming Olympic Trials. He placed 16th in the semi-finals.
David Curtiss's International Races
Long Course (50-meter pool)
| Meet | 50 freestyle |
|---|---|
| WJC 2019 (age: 17) |
 (22.14) |
Short Course (25-meter pool)
| Meet | 50 freestyle | 4×50 freestyle | 4×100 freestyle | 4×50 mixed freestyle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WC 2022 (age: 20) |
24th (21.40) |
5th (split 21.34, 1st leg) |
 (split 48.07, 1st leg) |
4th (split 20.89, 2nd leg) |
- David swam only in the preliminary races for these events.
David Curtiss's Achievements
- 2019 World Junior Championships silver medalist: 50-meter freestyle.
- Member of the USA National Team for 50-freestyle: 2019—2020, 2020—2021, 2021—2022.
- Broke the US national private high school record in 2020: 19.42 in 50-yard freestyle.
- Broke the US national private high school record twice in 2021: 19.26 and 19.11 in 50-yard freestyle.
- Broke the American Overall National High School record in 2021: 19.11 in 50-yard freestyle.
- Partnered with Speedo in July 2021.
- Won the Atlantic Coast Conference title in 50-yard freestyle in 2022.
- Member of Team USA for the 2022 Duel in the Pool.
- First-time senior World Championships Team USA member in 2022.
- Won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Short Course Championships.
- Gold medalist in 50-meter freestyle at the 2022 U.S Open Championships.
- Won three Atlantic Coast Conference titles in 2023: 4×50-yard freestyle relay, 4×100-yard freestyle relay, and 4×50-yard medley relay.
- Won the 2023 NCAA Division I title: 4×50-yard medley relay.
Awards and Special Mentions
- Atlantic Coast Conference, Swimmer of the Week (men's): January 24, 2023.
- Times of Trenton, Swimmer of the Year (boys): 2019, 2020, 2021.
- SwimSwam, Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming: June 18, 2014; March 13—15, 2015; January 8—10, 2016.
About David Curtiss
Who Inspires Him?
David Curtiss has said that Cullen Jones inspires him. Cullen Jones is also an African-American swimmer for the United States. He is an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle swimming.
Sponsorships
In 2021, the NCAA changed its rules. These changes allowed college athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). After this, David partnered with Speedo. This partnership allowed him to work with the brand throughout his college swimming career.
See also
In Spanish: David Curtiss para niños
- List of people from Pennsylvania
- New Jersey Swimming
