Max Stapley

Coming from a swim and run background, the 23-year-old honed his triathlon skills under the tutelage of Jamie Turner with the famous Wollongong Wizards – the New South Wales training group that helped develop star athletes such as Aaron Royle, Ashleigh Gentle and Jake Birtwhistle, as well as 2016 Olympic champion Gwen Jorgenson of the USA.

Stapley made an impressive start to his Super League career at Arena Games Triathlon 2022, taking part in all three events, finishing second in Munich and sixth in London before a creditable ninth-place in the final round in Singapore. With pool swimming isolating strengths and weaknesses in the water, Stapley’s talent shone through and kept him in the mix during each race.

Stapley then competed for Team Cheetahs in the 2022 Championship Series. While bike crashes hindered his chances at individual glory, Stapley got on a podium as part the Cheetahs who finished 3rd in the team competition.

Away from Super League action, Stapley already has two top 10 finishes in World Cup racing, and has continued his development this summer by competing in Arzachena (Italy) and Pontevedra (Spain) – leading out of the water in the latter.

It’s not been without some upheaval. Having represented Australia in his youth, Stapley is recently switched allegiance to Britain and raced the 2023 Arena Games Triathlon series under the neutral strip of World Triathlon where he finished in 14th position in the overall series.

Stapley now returns for a second Championship Series on great form having recently secure a first World Triathlon World Cup podium spot and a second place as part of the Great Britain mixed relay team at WTCS Sunderland.