Singaporean Max Maeder claims overall title at KiteFoil World Series 2024

SINGAPORE - Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder was crowned the overall champion of the 2024 KiteFoil World Series on Oct 5, after winning the Italy leg of the competition.

The 18-year-old, who had won the first stop in Austria in the two-legged 2024 world series just a month ago, needed just one win in the grand final to secure back-to-back overall titles.

Reflecting on his ongoing season that began in February, Maeder said on the event's live stream: "The start of the season feels like two years ago, so much has happened since then and here we are. It's only been 10 months, that's crazy to me."

At the Poetto beach in Cagliari, Maeder booked his spot in the grand final after closing out the opening series as the leader with 16 points, two ahead of Frenchman Axel Mazella.

The duo was later joined by Swizterland's Gian Stragiotti and Briton Connor Bainbridge, who took the remaining two slots in the grand final.

As the top qualifier, Maeder entered the first-to-three wins grand final with two match points, needing just one more to seal the title and he wasted no time with a victory in the first race.

This is the teenager's third consecutive title since he claimed the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August, after the Austrian title and winning the Formula Kite Asian Championships in Daishan, China, on Sept 22.

His next race is the Oct 7-13 Formula Kite Youth European Championships in Sardinia.

2024 KiteFoil World Series Italy- Medal Series https://t.co/E905UItlFw

— International Kiteboarding Association (@kiteclasses) October 5, 2024

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.