SINGAPORE: Singapore’s young kitefoiling sensation Maximillian Maeder is soaring towards his Olympic dreams as he secured a coveted spot in the men’s kitefoil finals. The top two kitefoilers from the opening series progressed to the finals, while those ranked third to tenth advanced to the semi-finals round.
After the opening series at Marseille Marina, Maeder is in second place with 15 net points, while Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek is at the top of the rankings with 12 net points.
Ten kitefoilers from the third to tenth position will compete in the semi-finals. They will be split into two teams, with the winner of each group qualifying for the final.
Pianosi Ricardo (Italy), Mazella Axel (France), Lobo Bruno (Brazil), and Huang Qibin (China) are in the semi-finals Group A, while Bontus Valentin (Austria), Maus Jannis (Germany), Bainbridge Connor (Great Britain), and Edegran Markus (USA) will compete in the semi-finals Group B.
There will be four boats in the final, with the winners from each group in the semi-finals earning a spot in the final. They will join current leaders Vodisek and second-placed Maeder, in a thrilling showdown scheduled for 9.40pm (Singapore time).
The frontrunner Vodisek enters the final with a superior two-match point advantage. With the first-to-three race win format, the 24-year-old Slovenian needs only one more race victory in the final to secure the gold medal.
With the finals looming, 17-year-old Maeder finds himself in a precarious position, trailing with a solitary match point. To turn the tables and emerge victorious, he must pull off a stunning coup: win two races, while relying on Vodisek to falter and miss the top spot in every race in the final round.
FEARLESS YOUNG KITER
Maeder’s performance in the opening round has been praised by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Community, Culture and Youth, who has lauded the young athlete’s unwavering determination, and unrelenting spirit in navigating the challenging and unpredictable conditions at the Olympic Games.
“Max has navigated through tricky conditions in Marseille, where light and fickle winds have led to numerous postponements and abandoned races. Despite these challenges, Max’s skill and determination have shone through,” posted Minister Tong, who also described Maeder as a ‘fearless young kiter’.
“Max’s journey to the final is nothing short of remarkable, evident from his impressive streak of titles, including golds at the Youth World Championships, World Championships and Asian Games.”
The opening series, which had initially slated for 16 races, was curtailed due to unfavourable weather conditions, with only seven races managing to take place.
Main photo credit: Sport Singapore / Jeremy Lee