Timeline: Maximilian Maeder's road to an Olympic medal - and a place in Singapore's sporting history
CNA follows the 17-year-old kitefoiler's journey from his unique childhood to a medal at Paris 2024 and a place in the record books.
Kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder has won a bronze for Singapore at the Paris Games, making history as the country’s youngest Olympic medallist.(Photos: Hwee Keng Maeder; AFP/Clement MAHOUDEAU)
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MARSEILLE: With his Olympics bronze on Friday (Aug 9), kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder ended Singapore's eight-year wait for a Games medal.
CNA traces the 17-year-old's journey from precocious young child to teenage history-maker for his country.
EARLY YEARS
Maeder was six years old when his father Valentin introduced him to kiteboarding.
The boy liked in particular the “complexity of the wind and circumstances”, as well as the freedom to move around, said his father.
In 2018, 12-year-old Maeder first made his big dream known.
Sitting relaxed on a beach in Mexico, the youngest competitor at the Hydrofoil Pro Tour circuit was asked about his long-term goals in kite-racing.
The answer was simple. “World champion.”
Recognising that their son was not going to become world champion by "sitting in the classroom most of the time", Maeder's parents decided to educate him from home.
ASCENT TO THE TOP
Three years on and relatively fresh into teenhood, Maeder burst onto the scene with European and youth world championships wins, establishing himself as a high-level contender.
He had to settle for second place at the world championships in 2022, but promptly returned to win it - and fulfil his childhood dream - the next year.
Maeder also won gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
He retained his world title earlier this year, to make it five consecutive victories ahead of the Olympics.
OLYMPIC ADVENTURE
Paris 2024 started out as a mixed bag for Maeder, with weak winds wreaking havoc on the schedule. It meant that out of a maximum 16 races in the opening series, only seven were contested.
The Singaporean finished fifth in his first race, before taking top spot, then second place in the next two. He did not complete his fourth race after tangling with another kite.
He was then third, 10th and fourth in the last three races of the opening series.
After tallying points awarded and discarded, Maeder placed overall second in the opening series behind Slovenia's Toni Vodisek.
He moved on to the final, where competitors need three race wins to secure gold.
As opening series leader, Vodisek began the final with two race wins and only needed one more to take gold.
Maeder on the other hand started the final with one race win and needed two more victories.
He ultimately finished third overall, behind Vodisek who clinched a silver medal. The Austrian Valentin Bontus reeled off three wins in all three final races to be crowned champion.
But Paris was just the start for Maeder, who's in it for the long haul.
He would have been due for full-time National Service enlistment in September, but has since been granted deferment up to August 2028, to train and compete at the Los Angeles Olympics that year.
Catch the widest coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on mewatch. Go to www.mewatch.sg/paris2024 for more details.
