Commentary: Treasure him, Singapore. In 17-year-old Max Maeder, you have a gem

MARSEILLE: As the lack of wind wreaked havoc day after day on sun-baked Marseille during the 2024 Paris Olympics, the waiting game for the men’s kitefoiling event wore on.
Reporters were stressed, photographers were tired, and a nation was on tenterhooks.
But a 17-year-old Singaporean, the youngest in the fleet and in his country’s contingent, did not complain. Instead, he played chess, listened to classical music and replied messages of encouragement on social media.
And after a volatile few days of stop-and-start racing, Maximilian Maeder finished third overall in his event on Friday (Aug 9). Austria’s Valentin Bontus won gold, while Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek took silver.
Maeder’s bronze medal ended Singapore’s eight-year wait for an Olympic podium finish since swimmer Joseph Schooling’s historic gold in 2016.
Yet beyond the medal, and the buzz over his undeniable talent, what is most remarkable about Maeder is his character.
Watch just about any interview with Maeder, and what immediately stands out is his maturity.
“Every time you speak, I don’t know what to say,” said 19-year-old Vodisek of his younger counterpart at the post-victory ceremony press conference. “I feel sometimes when Max is speaking, he’s older than me,” added 23-year-old Bontus.
In a Facebook post, Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said: “Max is mature beyond his years – his teenage smile and traces of puppy fat are deceptive. There is a new wind in Singapore sports.”
Foreign journalists have also been won over. After a seven-minute interview in German – Maeder speaks multiple languages – his interviewer remarked to Singaporean journalists how the back-to-back world champion’s poise was of somebody’s far beyond his tender age.
Much of this is down to how he was raised. The oldest of three brothers, Maeder was encouraged to be independent in his learning. He was home-schooled, with the education built flexibly around his ambitions, and accompanied his parents to business meetings, quietly observing the interactions.
At the same time, his parents also made sure he and his brothers knew they were always there for him.
“When you tell a kid, ‘You’ve got this’, parents think they are doing a good thing. But what they are really doing is loading them with expectations. They start to be a little bit afraid of disappointing you,” his father Valentin said in a previous interview with CNA.
“Whereas you can do a soft little tweak to the message. From ‘You’ve got this’ to ‘We’ve got you, you’re safe, your family is a safe place, love is never in question’.”
Maeder was also taught from a young age the importance of making the best of his gifts and to contribute to others. And he has consistently emphasised the importance of bringing others along in the journey.
After the final race where he clinched his bronze, Maeder’s first words to the press were not about himself or his performance, but about his competitors.
“Hats off to Valentin, monster performance in the finals, it can’t be put any other way. Hats off to Toni, that was a phenomenal opening series,” he said, also praising fourth-placed Riccardo Pianosi as well as the rest of the 20-men fleet.
It is clear that the Maeders have raised not just a competitor, but a classy one.
For a country like Singapore, a bronze medal at the Olympics is massive.
Only six athletes have ever stood on the podium at the Games, and Maeder, the youngest of them all, did it on his debut.
But as Maeder emerged from the Mediterranean, the last of the three medalists, there was undoubtedly a tinge of disappointment. You see, this is a 17-year-old with big dreams.
“I’ll speak the truth and say I haven’t finished sulking, but I’m putting a smile on now,” he said. “Not because I have to, but because of the way I feel … I still need to process everything that’s going on because, yeah, it’s a lot.” 
Beyond the boyish looks and the friendly demeanour is an athlete with a killer instinct to succeed. And while Singapore celebrates his bronze, it would be remiss not to recognise that Maeder also has his own goals.
In the words of his mother, Maeder doesn’t compare himself to others, but holds himself to his own standards.
A story from his childhood comes to mind. After losing to older competitors in a ski race at the age of four, Maeder went home and reflected on the experience. The next day, he was the first one at training. 
Maeder wants to win. He has done so numerous times, and one day he will get another shot at an Olympic gold.
For now, a new world awaits – more recognition, more adoration, more scrutiny. But if there is one athlete who should be able to handle it all, it is Max Maeder.
Like his two brothers, Maeder has a Chinese name taking after a philosopher. In his case, the teenager is named after Mozi.
His full English name, Maximilian, is derived from the Latin word “maximus”. It means “greatest”.
Matthew Mohan is a correspondent at CNA. He specialises in sports reporting, and has covered two Olympic Games, a World Cup, as well as the Asian Games.