August 13, 2024
SINGAPORE – The arrival hall at Changi Airport Terminal 3 was busier than usual and crackled with anticipation before dawn on Aug 13 as Singapore welcomed its youngest Olympic medallist, kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, back home.
Among the close to 60 people that received 17-year-old Maximilian and fellow sailor Ryan Lo, 27, who competed in the men’s dinghy event, were a handful of supporters, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, officials from Singapore Sailing Federation and Sport Singapore and about 20 members of the media.
Maximilian is the youngest of six Singaporean Olympic medallists after he finished third in the men’s kite event on Aug 9. His bronze medal came on the same day that Singapore celebrated its 59th year of independence and also ended an eight-year wait to see a Singaporean on an Olympic podium since swimmer Joseph Schooling won gold in 2016.
Most had arrived as early as 5.30am, before Maximilian walked into the arrival hall after his near 13-hour flight from Paris on Singapore Airlines flight SQ335. As the crowd shouted, “Welcome home, Max”, Mr Tong placed a garland around his neck.
“I am completely overwhelmed,” said Maximilian as he puffed his cheeks.
In a doorstop interview, he reiterated how he was “most overwhelmed” by the positive reception, adding: “I cannot express what it means to have a journey like this… and to see that my efforts have made a positive impact is a fulfilling thing.”
On the warm welcome from his supporters, he said: “So heartwarming, really. It means a lot, you know, I can only imagine them getting out of bed early to come here… it really puts a smile on my face. And it has made my day so good, just to see everyone come here and say hello to me. Yeah, it’s very special.”
When asked what he is planning to do next, he said: “First thing I want to do now is shower but I want to see my family, eat some food cooked by my popo (grandmother in Chinese) and anything on the table I’ll probably eat.
“My mother has forced me to take a break and take it easy. I will listen to her. Afterwards I’ll continue to compete and train and business as usual. The fun continues.”
Fans here had been eager to express their gratitude for the timely birthday gift he had given the nation on Aug 9.
Caleb Tan, 6, was one of the young supporters who turned up to receive Maximilian. He carried a self-made poster that read, “I skipped school to see Max Maeder”.
Caleb said he worked on it with his mum. He got more than what he wished for – Maximilian’s autograph on the poster – as he was also hoisted onto the Olympic medallist’s shoulders for photos.
He added: “I was so happy when he won a bronze medal because he tried his best.”
Caleb Tan, 6, was one of the young supporters who turned up to receive Maximilian. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
Caleb’s mother Wendy Tan, a 35-year-old financial consultant, said: “Max is an inspiration. He speaks so well on TV and I really liked how he thanks his parents. The respect he has for people is great too and that is important to teach the young kids. I want Caleb to understand that so I took him here to see the man himself.”
A 39-year-old researcher who wanted to be known only as Jean, took her three kids Serena, 10, Ashton, 7, and Elijah, 5, to welcome Maximilian.
Jean said: “We watched most of Team Singapore in action as a family, sometimes from highlights if the events start late. We are very excited to be here and it was actually the kids who saw Instagram and told me Max is arriving at this hour today.
“One of the reasons I agreed is because it is such a historic moment to be here and to thank him in person. He has helped young kids realise that as a Singaporean, they can make it to the world stage and that we may be from a little red dot, but we can make a big impact too.”
Also present was Afiq Azman. The 31-year-old said he started watching Maximilian only in the final and was here to “soak in the atmosphere”.
Afiq said: “I knew when it was gearing towards the final that there might be a chance we could get a medal. There was no better storybook ending than Singapore winning a medal on National Day.
“Today is my day off and it is a rare occasion to experience this in Singapore. I am just here to soak in the atmosphere and thank him personally. “