Singapore kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder not resting on his laurels after second straight world title

SINGAPORE – Maximilian Maeder showed why he is one of the favourites for the Paris Olympics after claiming his second consecutive world championship title on May 19, but the Singaporean kitefoiler has vowed to double his efforts with the Games just over two months away.

The 17-year-old continued to exert his dominance, needing just one race to retain his crown in the first-to-three finals of the Formula Kite World Championships in Hyeres, France.

While it was an encouraging sign for the teenager, he also emphasised the need to stay vigilant as his rivals will be gunning for him when kitefoiling makes its Olympic debut at the Marseille Marina in France.

He said: “That means they will be learning, improving and training a lot. My only job is to keep the lessons that I’ve learnt so far, stay diligent, stay disciplined and I have to take this as a guide, rather than as an affirmation.

“This doesn’t mean I will slow down or take a rest. It means I have to double my efforts because what I’m doing should be, according to this event, the right thing but you never know.”

He has been in impressive form this season, sweeping all the trophies on offer.

Before his world championship triumph, he also won the Trofeo Princesa Sofia, European championships, KiteFoil International Open Cup and the Qualified Nations Regatta at the French Olympic Week, a rehearsal for the Paris competition.

With the world event done, Maximilian’s final leg of preparations for the Olympics will see him train mainly in Marseille and possibly Croatia.

He will also be taking part in some coach-organised regattas ahead of the quadrennial Games from July 26-Aug 11.

Maximilian added: “At the very least, I can have faith to know that I’m doing the right thing and I can really put in the work like how I’ve been doing it so far.

“There are always small details that you discover here or there. Of course, you’re not going to completely freeze your opportunities for training, you’re going to stay somewhat flexible.

“But there needs to be no big paradigm shift in terms of philosophy or the approach to training because at least I hope it works all right so far.”

At the world championships in Hyeres, Maximilian had qualified directly for the finals with two race wins after finishing first in the opening series with 18 net points.

Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi was his closest rival on 34 points and also earned his spot in the finals, with Austrian Valentin Bontus and Frenchman Axel Mazella filling the remaining two spots after winning their respective semi-finals.

Singapore’s reigning world champion seized the first chance to retain his crown, emerging victorious in the opening race of the finals.

At the quadrennial World Sailing Championships in 2023, Maximilian won his maiden world title to become the youngest winner of a world championship in any Olympic sailing class.

His second success on the world stage was equally significant as the first one, with Maximilian highlighting the importance of his support system.

He said: “It is just as punchy and sweet, and it means just as much as the last one. I would say even more to the people who have supported me because it goes to show that they can be reassured that they’re doing the right things, helping me in the way they are.

“Coach, sponsors, training partner, the federation, of course. All of this, I hope it means as much to them as it does to me. It’s great that it’s a shared victory because I’m in this with the team and I hope they are just as happy as I am.”