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Maeder went into the final day of the 2024 Formula Kite World Championships as the favourite, having topped the opening series. This gave him a bye to the final and he did not compete in the semi-finals which were also held on Sunday.
The Singaporean also carried two race wins into the final as a result of his commanding win in the opening series.
He needed to win just one race out of four to defend his title as, based on the competition format, the first competitor to three wins in the final wins gold. Maeder went on to win the first race in the final.
“Its great to see that what we have been working on and what we’ve been placing our bets on has worked. And that fortune smiled upon us while we were at it,” he said.
“All in all, it was an experience to remember for sure.”
EVERY EVENT A “CLEAN SLATE”
Maeder, now fourth in the world rankings, has been on a stunning run of form since last year.
The Asian Games gold medalist has now won five events in a row, with the youngster winning the men’s title at the Formula Kite European Championships in March.
When asked about his consistency, Maeder attributed it to the team behind him.
“I’m massively fortunate to be able to have a good team that supports me well, that backs me and stands behind me. Coach, training partner, family, federation sponsors,” he explained.
“All that helps a lot so that you can focus on the work that you want to do.”
Born in Singapore to a Swiss father and a Singaporean mother, Maeder was introduced to kiteboarding at the age of six by his father, Valentin, before he eventually progressed to kitefoiling.
The sport will make its Olympic debut in Marseille in less than three months, with Maeder one of the medal prospects.
While expectations may continue to build, he said that the biggest pressure comes from within.
“Every new event … is a fresh clean slate, it is an opportunity to go again, to show again and to compete again,” he said.
“In terms of the pressure, it is mainly coming from within myself, and me upon myself giving pressure to say let’s do it again, execute again and prepare properly again.”
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