Singapore kitefoiler Max Maeder wins third consecutive European Championships open title

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Olympic bronze medallist Maximilian Maeder capped off an impressive outing at the 2026 Formula Kite European Championships by clinching the open title in Akyaka, Türkiye on Saturday (Sep 12).

After topping the fleet earlier in the week ahead of Switzerland's Gian Stragiotti and Italy's Riccardo Pianosi, the 20-year-old needed just one race win in the grand final to take the crown on his birthday. Maeder, who is the world's top-ranked kitefoiler, did so at the first time of asking.

As Maeder is not European, he took the open or overall title. Stragiotti took the continental or European title after finishing behind Maeder.

This is Maeder's third consecutive European open title following victories in 2024 and 2025. He also won the event in 2021 and 2022.

In May, he also clinched another hat-trick - this time of world titles. At the Formula Kite World Championships in Viana do Castelo in Portugal, Maeder finished ahead of Stragiotti to wrest back his crown from Pianosi.

Maeder has competed in seven competitions this year, winning all of them.