Maximillian Giuliani made some noise earlier this week at the Queensland Championships, as the Aussie continued his rapid progression in the 200 freestyle.
Giuliani, 20, has come a long way in a matter of six months—he set a lifetime best of 1:48.05 in the event at the Australian World Trials in June, placing eighth, and just went 1:44.79 in Brisbane, making him the #2 Australian of all-time behind legend Ian Thorpe.
The Australian men have been in a drought of sorts in the 800 free relay since Thorpe hung up his goggles in the early 2000s—they did win the world title in the event in 2019, but the race was largely dominated by the United States from 2004 to 2014, and now Great Britain has established itself as the team to beat for the better part of the last decade.
With a shorthanded British squad, the U.S. rolled to a three-second victory at the 2022 World Championships, but Great Britain reclaimed the throne this past summer, topping the Americans by just under a second in 6:59.08, the sixth sub-7:00 swim in history and just the second in the last 11 years (the other being their Olympic victory in 2021).
The Australians have established themselves as a top-three nation in the event, winning bronze in Tokyo, silver in Budapest and bronze in Fukuoka, but with Giuliani’s breakout, do they have the guns to challenge the Brits and Americans?
The math tells us that Great Britain will be tough to beat, but the Aussies have a legitimate shot at taking down the U.S. team.
Flat Start Add-Ups, All-Time Personal Bests
| Great Britain | United States | Australia |
| Tom Dean – 1:44.22 | Kieran Smith – 1:44.74 | Max Giuliani – 1:44.79 |
| Duncan Scott – 1:44.26 | Luke Hobson – 1:44.87 | Alexander Graham – 1:45.22 |
| Matt Richards – 1:44.30 | Drew Kibler – 1:45.01 | Kyle Chalmers – 1:45.48 |
| James Guy – 1:45.14 | Carson Foster – 1:45.57 | Elijah Winnington – 1:45.53 |
| 6:57.92 | 7:00.19 | 7:01.02 |
Flat Start Add-Ups, 2023 Personal Bests
| Great Britain | United States | Australia |
| Matt Richards – 1:44.30 | Luke Hobson – 1:44.87 | Max Giuliani – 1:44.79 |
| Tom Dean – 1:44.32 | Kieran Smith – 1:45.63 | Kai Taylor – 1:45.79 |
| Duncan Scott – 1:45.42 | Carson Foster – 1:45.64 | Flynn Southam – 1:46.24 |
| James Guy – 1:45.85 | Drew Kibler – 1:45.67 | Alexander Graham – 1:46.58 |
| 6:59.89 | 7:01.81 | 7:03.40 |
If we factor in recent relay splits, using the fastest for each country since the Tokyo Olympics, Australia pulls within six-tenths of the U.S., though these times are with everyone firing on all cylinders.
Add-Ups, Including Relay Splits Since Tokyo Olympics
| Great Britain | United States | Australia |
| Matt Richards – 1:44.30 | Luke Hobson – 1:44.87 | Max Giuliani – 1:44.79 |
| Duncan Scott – 1:43.45 | Kieran Smith – 1:44.35 | Kai Taylor – 1:44.56 |
| Tom Dean – 1:43.53 | Carson Foster – 1:44.49 | Thomas Neill – 1:44.74 |
| James Guy – 1:44.40 | Drew Kibler – 1:45.01* | Kyle Chalmers – 1:45.19 |
| 6:55.68 | 6:58.72 | 6:59.28 |
*Flat start
Great Britain is on another planet with a potential add-up as fast as 6:55.68, nearly three seconds under the existing world record, with the added note that James Guy has split sub-1:44 before (2017) and is coming off a breakthrough swim of sorts at the European Short Course Championships.
The Brits are still the team to beat, no doubt, but Giuliani’s emergence, coupled with what we saw Kai Taylor do last year and the potential of other talents like Thomas Neill and Flynn Southam doing something in the 1:44-range, plus the clutch relay factor that is Kyle Chalmers, the Aussies shouldn’t be taken lightly.
To be honest the flat times can not say anything special about the relays. Kibler even was not at the fukoaka final and jake mitchel went 1.45.0 instead..forster and Smith are reliable relay swimmers . Smith always put fast times as the anchor. Hobson was 1.46.0 as the lead off..if he went that 1.44.7 in there USA could win the thing. And do not forget USA will never out of the options..there are so may upcoming fast kids like maccfadden,jack dalghren, Williamson…
Aus, swimmers times cannot predict..southam is very unpredictable…I still hope paris relay will win by USA..
Maximillian should be doing the worlds. Needs racing experience.
Yes, this worlds seems like a perfect meet to get experience at
GBR could just blow away the competition and leave USA, AUS and Italy fighting for the minor medals.
No other teams have the 1:43s that they do. It’s a special relay they have, and they know it too.
GBR remains the favorite gold.
AUS may challenge USA for silver.
australia’s doha team has been announced:
Iona Anderson
Jaclyn Barclay
Jack Cartwright
Abbey Connor
Isaac Cooper
Jenna Forrester
Madeleine Gough
Abbey Harkin
Shayna Jack
Moesha Johnson
Cameron McEvoy
Kiah Melverton
Alexandria Perkins
Kai Taylor
Brianna Throssell
Samuel Williamson
Elijah Winnington
Bradley Woodward
It will be interesting to see what relay combinations can be eked out of this roster.
They should be able to field women’s and mixed medley. Maybe mixed free.
Fielding a men’s 400 free relay should be okay.
Men’s 800 free relay looks good for 3 legs but they would need Woodward as a fourth and all 4 would need to pull double duty with the heat swim. Has McEvoy swam a 200m free this quad?
Men’s medley looks decent for 3 legs but has no viable fly option which is strange considering there is more depth in the fly than the back and breast in Aus at the moment.
I think no one reached the crazy QT set by SA
Jack/Throssell/Melverton/Forrester 4×2, Barclay or Anderson/Harkin/Throssell/Jack medley and Cartwright/Taylor/Jack/Throssell mixed free feel like the most competitive potential relays in normal circumstances (coincidentally if they used Barclay then those three are all spw) and seems like there’s no point bothering with the mens medley or 4×2
I guess C1 changed her mind about going? I was hoping they’d retain the women’s 4×100 free title.
I nearly forgot this weeks WCs are nearly upon us! They are weekly now , right? 🙂
GBR PREDICTIONS…
Lead off – matt richards 1.44.3
2nd – Duncan scott 1.43.9
3rd – tom dean 1.43.7
4th – James Guy 1.43.8
Extremely rarely that all 4 members of the relay perform their fastest time at the same time.
GBR will retain their title even without those splits
Me when I’m high^
Richards 1:44.5
Scott 1:44.5
Guy 1:44.7
Dean 1:43.8
Still breaks the WR by a second
That British potential add-up time is ridiculous. I really do hope we see them all firing in Paris, would be kind of fun to see 3 seconds taken off one of the super-suited records. Would then leave the 4×100 free as Phelps’s only remaining WR, which given the legendary status of that race seems appropriate.
GBR look the team to beat. The only caveat is the lack of depth. At the 2022 World Championships Scott was out with Covid and Richards was out of form. They went from world beaters to being a long way behind the USA and Australia. In the lead up to the Olympics standards improve and the USA and Australia have a lot of critical mass. It wouldn’t surprise if at their trials the top six all go in the range of 1.44 mid to 1.45 low. Depth matters a great deal and the men’s 4X200 looks deeper than ever. China and Korea suddenly have strong teams. Germany are starting to put together a decent team and Russia will be highly… Read more »
I agree, if the top 4 GB swimmers are in form & hit their straps, they are near unbeatable but they do lack depth, maybe some of the GB fans can help us out with other swimmers.
However, both US & Australia has good depth & young depth & agree with China & Korea being a threat as well.
I just love relays, it’s the closest we get to a team sport in swimming & it’s very underrated amongst swimming fans. Just look at the importance of Phelps team mates to help him achieve the 8 golds in 2008.
The Aussies with Giulani, Kai Taylor & Thomas Neill & even Flynn Southam have got possible big improvements &… Read more »
GBR finished half a second behind Australia in 2022, which is really not a “long way” in a 7 minute race, and they did that without Richards, Scott or McMillan in the team and with James Guy out of form. To me, that suggests the polar opposite of what you conclude RE depth.
Agreed. Won a bronze without two of their best and one out of form…Australia and USA would *arguably* struggle to do the same
I think you would find that the Aussies without Giuliani, who is at present our best swimmer and Flynn Southam, the our 2nd best swimmer going into the World championship out of form, won a Bronze last year.
Yes I think GB has the best top end speed, their top 4 is too good.
Your 5 & 6 is a fair way behind. Whereas the US & Australia no 3 to no 6 the difference is not huge.
I wouldn’t swear by it, but I seem to recall that Australia were missing Neal. Graham and Chalmers who would have been in the top four for Australia at the time so they would have been just as weakened, if not more so, than GBR. The fact they still finished ahead seems to back my argument re depth.
Somewhat hypothetically, but I disagree on your statement about depth. Jack McMillan should be a reliable 1:45-1:46 splitter, and Jacob Whittle’s 48.03 PB in the 100 suggests a higher possible ceiling for his 200 than the 1:47 high he has as an official PB. GB won in Fukuoka arguably without 3 of the 4 best relay swimmers really firing (Scott, Guy, Richards all off their best). No other nation has 3 potential 1:43 splitters on their relay (but mostly not even one) – which is another sign of depth.