Kitefoiler Maximillian Maeder, who made his debut at Paris Olympics representing Singapore, clinched a bronze medalafter the final on Friday (Aug 9).

This makes the 17-year-old the youngest Singaporean Olympic medalist.

Austria’s Valentin Bontus won gold while Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek took home the silver.

Kitefoiling, a relatively new sport, involves riders on hydrofoils attached to boards being pulled along by the wind power of huge kites as they race against one another, somewhat like kitesurfing or kiteboarding.

They can reach speeds of up to 45 knots (83km/h) while doing this, according to the Royal Yachting Association.

The International Kiteboarding Association was founded in 2008, and kitefoiling first appeared in the Youth Olympic Games a decade later.

The Paris Olympics marked not only Maeder’s but also kitefoiling’s debut in the Summer Games.

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Maeder started kiteboarding at age six, when he was introduced to it by his father, Valentin Maeder. He eventually transitioned to kitefoiling at age 10, which gave him an “enticing thrill”, he said in an interview with Olympics.com.

“When I first started, it was the feeling of gliding on the surface of the water. You’re flying on top of this little underwater aeroplane,” he said.

“However, it changed to the love of competition, and the love of improving and achieving mastery in whatever your craft may be.”

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Maeder’s mother recounted a memory of his childhood which highlighted his “kiasu” (afraid to lose) nature.

After losing a friendly skiing race, a four-year-old Maeder returned home in silence and locked himself in his room to ponder over the loss, she said.

“Early the next morning, he was up on the slopes once again to practise.”

Maeder started competing in kitefoiling races when he was just 11 and won his first youth championship title at age 14.

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