Max Coten is a Western Australian open-water swimmer and University of Western Australia research student best known for winning the 2025 Rottnest Channel Swim. Representing City of Perth Swimming Club, he completed the 19.7-kilometre crossing in 4 hours, 2 minutes and 15 seconds, according to Swimming WA’s race report. His academic work connects mathematics and statistics with ocean research.
Quick facts about Max Coten
| Name | Max Coten |
|---|---|
| Sport | Open-water and marathon swimming |
| Based in | Western Australia |
| Club at his 2025 Rottnest victory | City of Perth Swimming Club |
| Rottnest winning time | 4:02:15 in 2025 |
| University | The University of Western Australia |
| 2026 academic recognition | Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship |
Schooling and early swimming development
Coten attended Orana Catholic Primary School and Corpus Christi College. In a March 2025 interview published by Catholic Education Western Australia, he credited teachers at both schools with supporting his confidence. The account described him as a late developer who won his first gold medal and broke his first school record in Year 9.
A documented milestone followed at the 2021 Australian Open Water Swimming Championships. Swimming WA’s championship report recorded his gold in the boys’ 18-year-old 10-kilometre event. At that stage, he was swimming with Westside Christ Church under coach Jon Harrison.
Rottnest Channel Swim results before and during his title year
Coten had recorded leading finishes at Rottnest before his 2025 victory. The following results are documented in Swimming WA’s event reports:
| Year | Men’s solo result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Third, in 4:16:17 | 2022 race recap |
| 2023 | Fourth | 2023 race report |
| 2025 | First, in 4:02:15 | 2025 race report |
The 2022 report noted that Coten finished third despite starting outside the earlier Champions of the Channel wave. In 2023, he finished behind Byron Kimber, with both swimmers completing the crossing faster than the previous men’s solo record. Their finishes were among several fast performances in favourable conditions that year.
His 2025 Rottnest victory
The win came after a disrupted attempt the previous year. Swimming WA reported that Coten had been leading in 2024 when the event was abandoned after 17 kilometres.
In 2025, he reached the finish ahead of Italy’s Alessio Occhipinti, who recorded 4:08:56, and South African Byron Kimber, who finished in 4:12:19. Swimming WA described cold and windy race conditions.
His title was won in 2025. The Rottnest Channel Swim Association subsequently cancelled the 2026 event because of forecast conditions and safety concerns; that edition did not produce a new race victory for Coten.
How he prepared while studying
The March 2025 CEWA interview provides a specific account of his preparation: nine swimming sessions of two hours each and two gym sessions per week. He described early starts and fitting study or work between morning training and another session later in the day.
He also spoke about exhaustion after the race and calling his coach, Eoin Carroll, after seeing family and friends at the finish. He emphasised organisation and maintaining professional or study options beyond swimming. The interview describes his preparation for the 2025 race.
University education and ocean research
In its February 2026 scholarship announcement, UWA reported that Coten had completed a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) in Mathematics and Statistics in 2025. It identified him as a PhD student developing statistical machine-learning methods for oceanographic applications, including better predictions of marine heatwaves at Ningaloo Reef.
His selection as a 2026 Westpac Future Leaders Scholar was also confirmed by the scholarship provider’s announcement, which listed his PhD field as Earth Sciences. Westpac described his research as addressing marine heatwaves and coastal ocean dynamics.
Recognition within his swimming community
Coten received Swimming WA’s 2024 Ben Beale Memorial Award, recognising the best club person across its member clubs. In remarks accompanying the association’s 2025 report, he emphasised the importance of helping other athletes.
