QLD Championships, Finals Day 2: Rising Star Max Giuliani On Track For Olympic Trials After His Career Almost Took A U Turn
Miami’s latest swimming sensation Max Giuliani admits he was ready to “chuck it all in” and head back home to Tasmania after moving to the Gold Coast to pursue his Olympic dreams.
The Australian Swim Team hierarchy are certainly glad he stuck at it after watching their latest freestyle protégé win a helter-skelter 200m freestyle final in a sizzling 1:45.67 at the 2023 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships last night.
MAKING A SPLASH: “Miami Max” Giuliani. Photo Courtesy Wade Graham Photography
After an eye-catching career from the boy from Hobart throughout the Australian Age Championships, Giuliani followed his coach Paul Crosswell and breaststroker Matilda Smith to the Miami program under Head Coach Richard Scarce in 2022.
Big Max revealing last night that the first few months of his move were really tough, and his career was at a crossroads –prepared to move back home – risking his dreams of one day becoming an Olympian – and going home to pursue a career as a tradie.
“I really struggled being away from home….missing my family as I was adapting to adult life, but after those few months I finally settled in,” said Giuliani.
“To be quite honest I was ready to throw it all in after a month and a half, I was ready to move back home and give it away but I’m super happy I stuck with it.
“The Miami team (under Scarce) got around me during a team camp. Before that I was feeling pretty average about it all and wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
“I clicked with the team and had some great team bonding with the Miami squad and that’s when I decided to keep going. I’m happy I stuck it out as it’s much better than being a tradie back in Tassie.”
The Dolphins coaching hierarchy led by National Head Coach Rohan Taylor and former Olympic coach Leigh Nugent, poolside in Brisbane last night, were very happy the big fella settled into life at Miami – taking him to Europe where he became one of the big surprise packets on the World Cup circuit.
And last night he kept his nerve and served up another top gun performance as he builds his season towards the Olympic Trials at the Brisbane venue next June.
With just half-a-second separating the top five from the preliminaries yesterday morning it was always going to be a touch and go affair as an exciting group of 4x200m young guns jostle for positions en-route to next year’s Paris Olympics.
And it was the tall, rangy 20-year-old Giuliani who sat tight, trailing fellow 20-year-old Kai Taylor (St Pesters Western) through the first 150m before unleashing his powerful six-beat kick down the final 50m to take his first Queensland title in another outstanding time of 1:45.67 (24.96; 51.90;1:19.16) – just 0.25 outside his best, swum to win the Budapest World Cup in October.
His consistency as an established 1:45 swimmer will hold him in good stead as he sets his sights on the 1:44s – a realm where only two Australians have been –the legendary Ian Thorpe (1:44.06) and Clyde Lewis(1:44.90) have ventured.
POWERHOUSE: Max Giuliani unleashes down the last 50m. Photo Courtesy Wade Graham Photography
Giuliani was last night half-a-second shy of Thorpe’s 2002 Queensland All-Comers record of 1:45 .09 – a time he will get a change to attack when he joins his Miami team mates on Tuesday night when they stage an attempt to break the Australian Club record in the 4x200m freestyle relay – a record held by the Denis Cotterell coached Miami squad that included both Grant Hackett and Thomas Fraser Holmes.
The depth in Australia’s 4x200m group continues to grow with Rackley’s Thomas Neill, 21, the man who anchored Australia to that stirring bronze medal in the 4x200m freestyle, screaming home for second last night in 1:45.78.
Neill was followed by 2020 World Champion over 400m Elijah Winnington (1:46.36) then his St Peters Western teammate Taylor 1:46.42 and 2023 World 400m champion Sam Short on 1:47.70.
Giuliani said he knew he had to back himself and play to his strengths down the last 50m.
“I turn on the legs in the last 50 and do what I can to rip in,” said Giuliani.
“My legs are pretty good so my plan was to bring them in as much as I could over that last 50. I had a little rest coming into this and then I’m looking forward to getting up at Olympic trials next year, put a full couple of blocks of work in and see what I can throw down.
“Tonight’s race has given me plenty of confidence, I swam pb’s at world cups and I’m thrilled to swim that time tonight.
“I’m looking forward to the rest of the racing this week in particular the men’s 4x200m freestyle the Miami boys are going to have a crack at the Australian record. I’m going to lead the team off and have another crack at swimming even faster.
“I can’t wait to get back and get into some more work. I’m really excited about what next year holds.
‘I’ve been working my butt off, grinding in the trenches in training, I’ve just got to back my work at the end of the day, and I do that.
“I always try and show up at training every day no matter what, even showing up when you’re feeling terrible and when you get results like tonight’s race it gives me confidence especially doing it no matter how I feel.
“My main goal is Olympic trials, I’ll improve the 200m by doing more hard work and working on a few little things with my coach Richard Scarce. It’s nice to swim fast here but the focus is Olympic trials and hopefully Paris next year.
“It’s awesome training in Queensland, I felt like I learnt to work hard back in Tassie but to come up here and take it to the next level and train under Richard and the team of people we have at Miami.
“It’s such a great culture at Miami, with one of the best coaches going around and training alongside Alex Graham and Jenner Strauch, it’s an environment that I’m really enjoying working hard in and being a part of.”
A star on the rise with Paris now squarely in his sights – a decision to stay at Miami that could well be a game changer for the Aussie men’s swim team.
You nailed it Mr Hanson … a star on the rise!