Singaporean kitefoiler Max Maeder has clinched a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Singapore’s National Day.
While, politicians, national athletes, and everyday citizens and netizens, celebrated Singapore’s 59th birthday, Maeder was busy securing Singapore’s first Olympic medal in eight years, and the country’s first sailing medal at an Olympics.
The 17-year-old is also the youngest Singaporean to win an Olympic gold medal and follows Singapore’s last Olympic medal, which was won by swimmer Joseph Schooling who made history by winning the men’s 100m butterfly final in Rio 2016.
The light winds at Marseille Marina made the regatta difficult, with sailors spending hours ashore waiting for the wind to pick up. Out of the 16 races planned for the opening series, only seven were completed.
The leaderboard was highly volatile during the first four days of racing, with standings constantly shifting as competitors tried to adapt to the conditions.
Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek led after the first day, with Maeder finishing third. Maeder then took the lead on the second day, but Vodisek regained it after the third day, with Maeder slipping to second. The standings remained unchanged on Aug 7 when all races on the final day of the opening series were canceled due to a lack of wind.
Vodisek, 24, held the advantage going into the final, having earned two match points as the top qualifier, needing just one race win to secure gold. Maeder, with one match point, needed two wins to claim the title.
However, a late twist saw Vodisek penalized twice, resulting in a 1.1-point deduction before the final on Aug 9.
Austria’s Valentin Bontus won both races on Aug 9, securing the gold at the Marseille Marina, while Vodisek and Maeder settled for silver and bronze, respectively.
“I don’t think I have enough time to express my gratitude for how much positivity has been thrown my way,” Maeder said. After his race, he shared that there were “more tears than words” exchanged with his mother when he returned to shore.
He also expressed his gratitude to his technician and co-pilot, Daniel Leow: “He’s been a key support to my entire journey here, and I couldn’t have gotten here without him.”
When asked about his future plans, Maeder responded: “To continue doing what I enjoy and continue bringing this wonderful experience to all the people who support and follow me.”
Reflecting on Maximilian’s achievement, Schooling, who retired in April, told The Straits Times: “Congratulations Max. I know how hard you’ve worked for it and how much you want this. We are so proud and happy for you and your family. Enjoy the moment.”
Read more: Paris Olympics 2024: B-Girl Sunny Choi’s Unconventional Path to Gold
In a Facebook post, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam remarked: “Max is mature beyond his years – his teenage smile and traces of puppy fat are deceptive. There is a new wind in Singapore sports.
“Just imagine – we had no Olympic medal for almost half a century after Tan Howe Liang’s silver medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Yet from 2008, (Singapore) has now brought home three Olympic bronzes (including Max’s), a silver, and Joseph Schooling’s historic gold.”
Maximilian Maeder has a great future. He just won the bronze in the kitefoiling event in Olympics sailing. At 17, he’s…
Posted by Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Friday 9 August 2024
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also shared on social media, “Just as we completed our celebrations at the (National Day) Parade, Max Maeder overcame the tough wind conditions and became the youngest Singaporean to win an Olympic medal.
“Congratulations Max on the bronze medal in kitefoiling! Thank you for your beautiful birthday gift to Singapore! Wishing Team Singapore all the best in the rest of your sporting events.”
Just as we completed our celebrations at the parade, Max Maeder overcame the tough wind conditions and became the…
Posted by Lawrence Wong on Friday 9 August 2024
Maeder’s journey to Olympic success began more than a decade ago.
His competitive nature was evident early on—Maeder, whose father Valentin is Swiss and mother Hwee Keng is Singaporean, was already competing in ski races at the age of four and disliked losing.
But soon, another sport captured his interest. Introduced to kiteboarding by his father at age six, Maeder transitioned to kitefoiling four years later.
Read more: South Korea Introduced as North Korea at Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Committee Apologises
He started competing in the sport the following year, and at 11, he declared his ambition to become a world champion—a goal he first achieved in 2023 before securing his second consecutive world title in May.
Maeder won his first of three world youth championship titles at 14 and along the way picked up three European Championships titles, as well as a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games.
