Max Maeder
Maximilian Maeder (born 12 September 2006) is a Singaporen kitesurfer.[1] He is the leading Formula Kite World champion.[when?] When he was 16 years old, he became the youngest winner in any Olympic sailing class competition.
Maeder won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the Men's Formula Kite event. He won the Formula Kite youth world champion in the years 2021 to 2023.[2] He won many open championships across Europe, Asia and Pan America.[3] He is the only competitor from Singapore to win a medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Early life
[change | change source]Maeder was born in Singapore to a family with mixed Eurasian heritage. His father, Valentin Maeder, is a Swiss German and his mother, Hwee Keng Maeder, is Singaporean Chinese.[4] He is the eldest among his two younger brothers.[4] At the age of six, his father introduced him to kiteboarding at younger than 10 years old.[5] By the age of 11, Maeder had already competed in his first competitive race.[6][1]
Personal life
[change | change source]Maximilian Maeder was born on 12 September 2006[7] in Singapore to Valentin and Hwee Keng (née Teng) Maeder. His father is a Swiss, and his mother is a Chinese Singaporean. He has two younger brothers, Karl and Valentin Jr., who are respectively 2 and 9 years younger.[8] Maeder grew up in a household with many different races; In addition to his English, Maeder also understands Mandarin, German, Swiss German and French. [9] Maeder was homeschooled growing up.[8]
Awards and nominations
[change | change source]Maeder was nominated for the following lists and awards:
- Nominated for The Straits Times' Athlete of the Year 2021[10]
- Nominated for The Straits Times' Athlete of the Year 2022[11]
- Won the SNOC Sportsboy of the Year 2022[12]
- Won the SNOC Sportsboy of the Year 2023[13]
- Nominated for Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2023[14]
- Won the SNOC Sportsboy of the Year 2024[15]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Maximilian Maeder Sailing.Org Profile". World Sailing. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ "16-year-old Singapore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder crowned world champion". Channel News Asia. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ "Results". World Sailing. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Raising Independent Children". ActiveSG Circle. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ Ma, Sylvia (8 August 2024). "Paris Olympics: meet Max Maeder, the kite surfer on verge of Singapore's second gold ever". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ↑ zaobaosg (21 September 2023). 专访亚运冠军墨士廉 (Maximilian Maeder)："我会努力学习中文，因为妈妈叫我这么做。". Retrieved 23 September 2024 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Athlete Profiles". Paris Olympics 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kwek, Kimberly (3 August 2024). "How Maximilian Maeder's parents raised a world champion". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ↑ HeyKaki 嘿卡奇 (4 July 2024). 23 Questions With Maximilian Maeder: SG Gen Z On Road To Olympics, Relationships & More!. Retrieved 22 September 2024 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Chia, Laura (1 April 2022). "ST Athlete of the Year: Kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder rises above and beyond". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ Chia, Laura (29 March 2023). "ST Athlete of the Year nominee: Maximilian Maeder's letter to his future self". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ Ganesan, Deepanraj (10 November 2022). "Loh Kean Yew wins his first Sportsman of the Year award". The Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ "Feng Tianwei, Sheik Farhan win sportswoman and sportsman of the year awards for 2023". Channel News Asia. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ Teoh, Melvyn (18 October 2023). "Champion kitefoiler Max Maeder is first Singaporean nominated for World Sailor of the Year". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ↑ Kwek, Kimberly (4 June 2024). "Sprinter Shanti Pereira, bowler Darren Ong win top accolades at 2024 Singapore Sports Awards". The Straits Times. Retrieved 8 June 2024.