David Avery Curtiss (born July 4, 2002) is an American former professional swimmer. He is a US Open record holder in the 4×50-yard medley relay. At the 2019 World Junior Championships, he won the silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle. In 2021, he set a new American high school record in the 50-yard freestyle for all high school swimming, public and private, in the United States. At the 2022 World Short Course Championships, he competed in three freestyle relay events and the 50-meter freestyle, winning a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He is a 2023 NCAA Division I champion in the 4×50-yard medley relay.

Early life and education Curtiss was born on the 4th of July, 2002 in Yardley, Pennsylvania."David Curtiss - Yardley, Penn. - Bio" . USA Swimming. Retrieved July 13, 2021. Growing up, he swam competitively for the Hamilton Y Aquatic Club in Hamilton, New Jersey where he was coached by Sue Welsh.Keith, Braden (October 17, 2019). "Wolfpack Gran Another: #7 David Curtiss Verbally Commits to NC State (2021)". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021.D'Addona, Dan (June 9, 2020). "Sue Welsh Named 2020 YMCA Swimming Coach of the Year". Swimming World. Retrieved July 13, 2021. He attended The Pennington School, also called Pennington High School, in Pennington, New Jersey for high school where he competed on the school's swim team. For collegiate swimming, Curtiss started competing for North Carolina State University in fall of 2021.Borders, Andrew (February 9, 2021). "Times of Trenton swimming notebook: Pennington's Curtiss turns heads far from home". NJ.com. Retrieved July 14, 2021. For his academic study, Curtiss decided to take Arabic as a foreign language, major in criminology, and minor in psychology.Petrosky, Maureen (June 28, 2021). "Yardley's Swim Star David Curtiss Fresh Off the Olympic Trials". Bucks Happening. Retrieved July 17, 2021.

Career 2014–2016 At the age of 11, Curtiss caught the attention of SwimSwam who named him one of the "Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming" for his time of a 27.95 in the 50-freestyle, which was almost three seconds faster than his time from the year before.Lepesant, Anne (June 19, 2014). "SwimSwam's The Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 6/18/2014". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021. He received the honor twice more, once in 2015 and once in 2016, both times for his performances in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and 100-yard backstroke.Lepesant, Anne (April 7, 2015). "AgonSwim Weekly Wonders Of Age Group Swimming". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 5, 2021.Lepesant, Anne (January 14, 2016). "AgonSwim Weekly Wonders Of Age Group Swimming - 1/13/2016". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 5, 2021.

2018–2020 In April 2018, Curtiss swam a personal best time in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 19.75. His time made him the fifth fastest American swimmer in US history in the event for boys in the 15–16 age group, ranking him behind fastest swimmer Michael Andrew and ahead of sixth fastest swimmer Caeleb Dressel.Penland, Spencer (April 6, 2018). "15-Year-Old David Curtiss Posts 19.75 50 Free at Y Nationals". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021. He competed in three individual events at the 2019 National Championships in Stanford, California in July and August 2019. In the 50-meter freestyle he ranked 5th with a time of 22.25, in the 100-meter backstroke he ranked 91st with a 59.54, and in the 100-meter freestyle he swam a 51.49 and placed 94th overall."2019 USA National Championships: Results Book". Omega Timing. August 4, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2021.

2019 World Junior Championships

At the 2019 World Junior Championships held in August 2019 in Budapest, Hungary, Curtiss competed representing the United States of America. In the semifinals of the 50-meter freestyle he swam a 21.95, advancing to the final and becoming the third fastest American swimmer in the 17–18 age group for the event behind Caeleb Dressel and Michael Andrew.Race, Retta (August 22, 2019). "Curtiss Becomes 3rd American 17-18-Year-Old Under 22-Second Barrier In 50 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021. Curtiss finished second in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 22.14, winning the silver medal in the event."7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019 Results Book". Omega Timing. August 25, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2021. Later on, in September, Curtiss was one of six men named to the US National Team for their times earlier in the 2019 year in the 50-freestyle along with Nathan Adrian, Michael Andrew, Michael Chadwick, Caeleb Dressel, and Ryan Held. His time of 21.95 seconds from the semifinals tied for fifth amongst men on the roster for the 2020–2021 US national team in the 50-meter freestyle."Men's National Team: 2020-2021 Roster". USA Swimming. Retrieved July 6, 2021.

2020 High school swim season In February 2020, Curtiss swam a 19.42 in the 50-yard freestyle for his high school team. His time broke the national independent (private) school record of 19.54 set by Ryan Murphy in 2012 and moved the national independent high school record closer to the national public high school record of 19.29 set by Caeleb Dressel.Neidigh, Lauren (February 15, 2020). "David Curtiss Breaks Murphy's National Independent HS Record with 19.4 50 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

2021 2021 TYR Pro Swim Series – Richmond Leading up to the US Olympic Trials, where swimmers competed for a spot on the US Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Curtiss swam a personal best time of 21.87 in the prelims of the 50-meter freestyle at the 2021 TYR Pro Swim Series meet in Richmond, Virginia, which was the 5th fastest time in the world in January 2021.Lohn, John (January 16, 2021). "2021 TYR Pro Swim Series: Rising Teen David Curtiss Clocks Sub-22 to Top 50 Free Prelims". Swimming World. Retrieved July 14, 2021."2021 TYR Pro Swim Series - Richmond 1/14/2021 to 1/17/2021: Results". USA Swimming. January 17, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021. He also swam a 51.14 in the 100-meter freestyle.

2021 High school swim season

In February 2021, Curtiss swam a 19.77 in the 50-yard freestyle at a dual meet for his high school, capturing the attention of Swimming World who took note of it being a fast time for so early in the swim season.Lohn, John (February 21, 2021). "N.C. State Recruit David Curtiss Clocks Sub-20 50 Freestyle in High School Dual Meet". Swimming World. Retrieved July 13, 2021. On March 3, 2021, at a dual meet, Curtiss swam a 19.26 in the 50-yard freestyle breaking the national independent high school record he set at 19.42 the year before.Borders, Andrew (March 5, 2021). "Times of Trenton swimming notebook: Pennington's Curtiss turns in fast 50 free, Princeton off to strong start". NJ.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022. This moved him closer to the national high school secord, for both public and private high schools in the United States, of 19.20 set one week before Curtiss' swim.Pecoraro, Nick (March 4, 2021). "David Curtiss Takes 0.16s Off Own 50 FR National Independent HS Record at 19.26". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021. Three days later, Curtiss swam a 19.11, which made him the fastest swimmer in the 50-yard freestyle in the history of American high school swimming, and switched the ownership of the national high school record in the event from a public high school swimmer to a private high school swimmer.De George, Matthew (March 6, 2021). "David Curtiss Goes 19.11 in 50 Free, Fastest in High School History (VIDEO)". Swimming World. Retrieved July 13, 2021.Lepesant, Anne (March 6, 2021). "David Curtiss Smashes Overall National High School Record in 50 Free with 19.11". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

2021 YMCA National Festival At the virtual 2021 YMCA National Festival Championships meet held in March and April 2021, Curtiss swam personal bests and set new club records in five individual events for the Hamilton Y Aquatic Club including the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, and 100-yard butterfly.Hamilton Y Aquatic Club (April 23, 2021). "HACY Makes a Splash at YMCA National Festival Meet". teamunify.com. Retrieved July 13, 2021. His new club record of 19.33 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle was also a new national YMCA record in the event.De George, Matthew (April 9, 2021). "David Curtiss, Greater Somerset YMCA Set Records at New Jersey YMCA Festival". Swimming World. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

2020 US Olympic Trials The 2020 US Olympic Trials were Curtiss' first Olympic Trials. Curtiss competed in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, which were postponed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 19, 2021, Curtiss swam a 22.34 in the prelims, ranking 13th overall and advancing to the semifinals later the same day."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wave II: Men's 50m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. June 19, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021. In the semifinals, Curtiss ranked 8th with a time of 22.07 and advanced to the final."U.S. Swimming Trials Night 7: Live updates, results, highlights from Omaha". NBC Olympics. June 19, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021. The next day, June 20, 2021, Curtiss finished 6th in the final with a time of 22.12 and did not make the US Olympic Team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan."U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials results". NBC Sports. June 20, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.Sutherland, James (June 20, 2021). "2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II: Day 8 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 13, 2021. Following his performances, Curtiss expressed he was not discouraged with his outcome at the meet, missing the 2020 US Olympic swim team, and was instead focusing his sights and energy on the 2024 Summer Olympics and his collegiate swimming career.Manfre, Dylan (June 22, 2021). "Ex-Pennington star David Curtiss soaks in successful run at Olympic Trials". The Trentonian. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

National Team as part of the pack His swims in the 50-meter freestyle leading up to and at the 2020 Olympic Trials were fast enough to earn him a spot on the 2021—2022 US National Team in the event.USA Swimming (September 10, 2021). "USA Swimming National Team Roster 2021-22". Swimming World. Retrieved October 2, 2021.Lepesant, Anne (September 10, 2021). "USA Swimming Names 114 Athletes To The 2021-22 National Team Roster". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 2, 2021. Curtiss was one of six current NC State Wolfpack student athletes in swimming to be named to the year's national team."Six Wolfpack Swimmers, Three NC State Alumni Named to 2021-22 U.S. National Team". NC State Wolfpack. Retrieved October 5, 2021. Soon after, in October 2021 during his first season swimming for the Wolfpack, Curtiss placed second in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 19.74 seconds in a dual meet against the Tennessee Volunteers.Gibbs, Robert (October 17, 2021). "Wolfpack Men Flash Early Speed With 1:24.9 200 MR; NC State Sweep Tennessee". SwimSwam. Retrieved October 18, 2021. On the first day of competition at the 2021 North Carolina State Invitational, November 18, Curtiss ranked fourth in the prelims heats of the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 19.55 seconds, which was over four tenths of a second behind first-ranked Andrey Minakov of Stanford who finished in 19.13 seconds.Hy-Tek (November 18, 2021). "2021 NC State GAC Fall Invitational: Men 50 Yard Freestyle Preliminaries". meetresults.com. Retrieved November 18, 2021. Later in the day Curtiss swam a 19.54 in the finals, placing seventh overall.Lepesant, Anne (November 18, 2021). "2021 NC State Fall Invitational: Day 1 Finals Live Recap". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 18, 2021.

2022 2022 ACC Championships