North Lakes swimmer Max Cunningham has earned selection in Australia’s Junior Dolphins squad for the 2026 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Vancouver, Canada, fulfilling what the 16-year-old described as one of his main goals heading into the Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast.
The Brisbane Grammar swimmer, whose full name is Maxwell Cunningham, qualified with times in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, events in which he also took out Age 16 Years gold at the championships. His individual program in Vancouver from 17 to 20 August is yet to be confirmed, but the call-up itself represents a significant leap forward in a career that is developing quickly.
“This was always a goal leading up to the Age Championships and will definitely be the toughest level of competition I’ve faced,” Max said.
A breakthrough week on the Gold Coast
Max’s performances across the meet earned him his place in the 32-strong junior squad. He won the Age 16 Years 100m butterfly in 53.37 seconds and the 100m freestyle in 49.97 seconds, both qualifying times for Junior Pan Pacs. He also claimed the 50m butterfly final in 24.17 seconds, having set an Australian age group record of 24.09 in the heats.
That record-breaking swim was not enough to qualify for Vancouver in that event, but it signals the kind of raw speed that has his coaches and supporters paying close attention.
“At the Age Championships my main goal was to make Junior Pan Pacs,” he said. “I already had the 100m butterfly qualifying time from the State titles. I wanted to do the qualifying time again and just missed out on a couple of other targets, but that’s all good. I’m happy with where I am at the moment, but there’s always more to find, more to come.”
Brisbane Grammar provided two swimmers to the Junior Dolphins squad, with Cunningham joined by Eloise McLellan, contributing to a team of 15 Queensland representatives among the 32 selected from across the country.
A step up from New Zealand to the world stage
Max’s previous overseas competition was with Swimming Queensland at the New Zealand Short Course Championships in 2024, a useful introduction to international racing. Vancouver is a considerably bigger stage. The Junior Pan Pacs are held every two years between charter nations Australia, USA, Japan and Canada, and have consistently produced swimmers who go on to represent Australia at senior level.
The 2024 edition, held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, sent graduates straight into senior Dolphins contention.
For a 16-year-old from North Lakes who trained at Grace Lutheran Rothwell before moving to Brisbane Grammar, the competition in Vancouver will mark his first time racing in the green and gold on the international stage.
Bigger goals already in sight
Max is focused on Vancouver rather than the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which he will not trial for. His longer-term targets, however, are set with considerable ambition. Los Angeles 2028 is “kind of in the view,” and Brisbane 2032, a home Olympics, is a “massive goal.”
He is pursuing all of this while juggling Year 12 schoolwork and a part-time job, a balancing act that most 16-year-olds would find daunting without the training load. Max is matter-of-fact about it. “After that we’ll see where the wind takes me,” he said. “I’m almost 17, so hopefully I’ll also be able to drive myself soon.”
For a swimmer who has already set an Australian age record and earned a national junior call-up in the same week, the wind seems to be blowing in the right direction.
Published 7-May-2026
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