It's the number of messages he received on Instagram after the Olympics. He was moved by the kindness of Singaporeans and amused by the flirtation of a few.
"What's cooking, good looking?" asked a message.
He grins.
It's early September, just over a month since his day of kitefoiling bronze in Marseille. He's 18 now and his medal has travelled widely in Singapore. The most frequent comment is "this is heavy". Its weight is more than literal.
"People," he says, "are very surprised when I let them wear it.
When I was at the Enfant Academy (young kids) were able to pass it around and... touch it and some of them got to wear it.
It was really sweet."
Minutes after competition the athlete faces the cameras, but he's barely deciphered how he performed. Any significant moment takes time to percolate.
Like sediment in a glass, it takes a while for emotion to settle and clarity to arrive. And so this breakfast is a partial Olympic rewinding.
Maeder is back racing and winning, yet he hasn't watched footage of his Olympic performances. The past always has value but he's busy chasing the future. "We did a deep analysis already and my father watched it. He just thought I could take a look at it and maybe I could see something different."
This story is from the October 01, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 01, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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