'SMOOTH' MAX BACK ON TOP

After Olympic bronze, kitefoiler earns dominant win in Austria for year’s fifth title

- David Lee

A new four-year Olympic cycle begins with new equipment for Singapore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, yet some things remain the same.

The teenager dominated the competition to claim the KiteFoil World Series Austria title on Sept 8, four days before he turns 18.

His training partner, Croatia's Martin Dolenc clinched silver, while Frenchman Benoit Gomez took the bronze and German Florian Gruber finished fourth in the grand final. Home favourite and surprise Olympic champion Valentin Bontus placed seventh.

Throughout the five-day competition, Maximilian won 11 out of 12 races in the opening series. Needing just one win in the medal series, he clinched it on his first try for his fifth victory in six events in 2024.

The only blip was in his last outing in Marseille, where he captured a nation's imagination with a historic Olympic bronze on Aug 9.

The two-time world champion inspired and touched Singaporeans with his tears and down-to-earth demeanour during the Olympics and post-Games festivities.