SINGAPORE: Kitefoiler Max Maeder, the country’s youngest Olympic medalist, turned 18 recently. He also now has a girlfriend, the athlete said in an interview with 8world.
Maeder said in the interview he met his new partner at a local gym, where he pursued the young woman, a Singaporean national, for a month.
A photo of the young couple was included in a TikTok video posed by 8world.news on Oct 19, though the woman’s face is covered.
And though he was forthcoming about his new relationship, Maeder said little else about the special woman in his life, saying he would need her consent before saying more.
@8world.news 墨士廉拍拖了 她是何方神圣？ #焦点 #Focus #墨士廉 #maxmaeder
When 8world wanted to know more about the woman, Maeder demurred, saying he would have to ask her if he could divulge her identity, something the young couple has yet to discuss.
However, he said that she is “very cheerful and understands all his jokes.”
Maeder also said this relationship is his second one.
Commenters on TikTok have been quick to congratulate the young athlete on his new relationship and praise him for being protective of her and so considerate of her privacy.
“It’s good to see that he respects his girlfriend’s opinion on whether to make their relationship public,” one wrote.
Another TikTok user had another take on the story, chiming in to say, “Max is Singapore’s national nephew. All must kaypoh kaypoh. The village gossip, so efficient.”
All in all, Maeder has had a stellar year.
After giving Singapore a birthday gift when he won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics for the Men’s Formula Kite event on Aug 9, he went on to rack up four gold medals in a row.
His short hiatus after the Olympics appears to have done him a world of good, as he has only gone from strength to strength since then.
On Sept 8, the Singaporean kitesurfer emerged as champion after winning 11 out of 12 races at the Austrian leg of the IKA KiteFoil World Series at Lake Traunsee.
Later that month, he took home his next gold at the 2024 Formula Kite Asian Championships in Daishan, China.
On Oct 5, Maeder made it a three-peat, winning the overall title at the World Series on the final day at Kitefoil World Series, in Sardinia, Italy.
Most recently, he ended the season with his fourth gold after winning eight of the 13 races at the Formula Kite Youth European Championships in Sardinia on Oct 13. /TISG
Read also: Max Maeder racks up 4th gold since Paris Olympics at Formula Kite Youth European Championships