Hobart-raised swimming world champion Max Giuliani has been named the 2025 Tasmanian Athlete of the Year.
The 22-year-old claimed gold, silver and bronze medals at world championships this year, continuing a dominant run for Tasmanian freestyle swimmers.
Dolphins teammate Ariarne Titmus had claimed four of the previous five awards.
Sport Minister Nick Duigan said Giuliani had enjoyed a breakout season.
“Max has had a fantastic year bringing home World Championship gold and bronze in Singapore, a year after winning a relay bronze medal at his maiden Olympic Games in Paris,” he said.
In Singapore, Giuliani helped set an Oceania record in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay and anchored the 4x200m team to bronze.
He added two silver medals at the Short Course World Championships in Budapest, setting another Oceanian record of 1:40.36 in the 200m freestyle.
Giuliani grew up in Hobart, attending St Virgil’s and Guilford Young Colleges and training with the Hobart Aquatic Club before relocating to the Gold Coast in 2022.
“Max is a great example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and persistence,” Duigan said.
The ceremony also saw V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose and Olympic rower Brendan Long inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.
Launceston’s Ambrose won back-to-back V8 Supercar titles in 2003 and 2004 before notching NASCAR victories at Watkins Glen in 2011 and 2012.
Long, also from Launceston, competed at two Olympic Games and claimed eight Australian championship titles in sculling events.
“These are two of our most successful sportspeople of all time, each taking home numerous championships and reaching the top of their sports,” Duigan said.
The pair become the 145th and 146th inductees.
Other athlete of the year finalists included mountain biker Dan Booker, canoe slalom paddler Kate Eckhardt and gravel cyclist Nicole Frain.
