Max Giuliani: Tasmanian swimming young gun on mission to qualify for Paris Olympics

He came tantalisingly close to breaking Ian Thorpe’s 200 metre freestyle record just last month and now Tasmanian swimmer Max Giuliani has set his sights on an equally lofty goal: qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

Swimmer Max Giuliani, at Carlton Park. Picture: Chris Kidd

Tasmanian swimming wunderkind Max Giuliani is deep in training for the Olympic trials this June, with the 20-year-old riding a wave of momentum after becoming the second-fastest Australian to swim the 200m freestyle event last month.

Giuliani, who grew up at the beachside town of Carlton east of Hobart, and went to St Virgil’s and Guilford Young College, moved to the Gold Coast in 2022, where he joined the Miami Swim Club.

He and his clubmates beat the Australian club record for the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Queensland state championships in December.

Swimmer Max Giuliani, at Carlton Park. Picture: Chris Kidd

And Giuliani himself was mere milliseconds away from eclipsing swimming legend Ian Thorpe’s Australian-best time of 1:44.06, recording the second-fastest time for the 200m freestyle ever achieved by an Aussie (1:44.79).

The young gun said it was “absolutely a goal of mine” to break Thorpe’s longstanding record, which was set in 2001.

“It’d be absolutely unreal to break one of Thorpie’s legendary records,” Giuliani told the Mercury.

“I’m just going to try to do everything in my power to use the next six months to make it happen, leave no stone unturned.

“I only did that swim in December, which is super early days – we look to peak in June [ahead of the Olympic trials]. So to be swimming this fast already is really, really exciting. I can’t wait for the six months ahead.”

Giuliani has returned to the Gold Coast after spending two weeks back in Hobart for Christmas and is continuing an intense training program as he attempts to qualify for the Paris Olympics, which kick off in July.

Swimmer Ian Thorpe with his gold medal after setting new world record in winning 400 freestyle at Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Homebush, 16/09/2000.

“It’d be so, so special to do it [qualify for the Olympics], coming from Tassie, living down here my whole life,” he said.

“It’d be so, so exciting and so great to represent Tassie and my country. There’d be no greater honour.

“In the lead-up to trials, everyone will be locked in harder and just really focusing up and putting everything on the line and trying to make the team.

“I’ll be hard at work until three weeks before trials and then I’ll have a bit of a rest and get ready to peak for trials and swim fast there.”

Waking up every day at 5.30am, Giuliani does nine swims a week, as well as F45 workouts and hill runs, with sauna and ice bath recovery sessions mixed in.

The Australian Olympic swimming trials will be held at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre from June 10-15.