Sailors fly S'pore flag high with 2 golds at Asian Games 2023

A huge congratulations to the sailing contingent.

Brenda Khoo | September 27, 2023, 03:08 PM

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Singapore's sailors won two gold medals at the 19th Asian Games on Sep. 27 in Hangzhou, China.

17-year-old kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder and Ryan Lo clinched the nation's first two gold medals in the continental competition.

Although Maeder's final race was canceled due to weak winds, the Singaporean teenager took home the gold medal as he topped all 16 races in the lead-up to the final of the men's formula kite event.

This is Maeder's first time competing in the Asian Games.

Later, CNA reported that sailor Ryan Lo also clinched the top spot in the International Laser Class Association 7 (ILCA7) event, finishing ahead of three-time event winner South Korea and India.

Lo had previously taken part in the 2010 and 2018 Asian Games, and won Optimist bronze and bronze medals respectively.

Both Maeder and Lo have secured their spots to represent Singapore at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

7 medals from S'pore sailing team

As of Sep. 27, Singapore's sailing team has had an impressive medal haul at the Asian Games this year, bagging two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes.

Earlier on Sep. 27, Victoria Chan scored a bronze in the Women’s ILCA 6 event.

On Sep. 26, the sailing duo Justin Liu and Denise Lim clinched a silver medal together, while a second duo Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low got a bronze medal.

For the individual events, Isaac Goh and Keira Carlyle won silver and bronze respectively on Sep. 26 too.

Asian Games debutant and Southeast Asian Games gold medallist Goh, 16, finished in second place in the boys' ILCA 4 event after 11 races.

Isaac Goh is on the right. Image via Ben Tan/Facebook.

Meanwhile, Liu and Lim, who tied the knot in 2021 according to The Straits Times, was also placed second with 28 net points after 14 races. China won gold while Thailand got bronze.

This is their maiden Asian Games participation as a married couple.

While Liu has bagged two gold medals from previous Asian Games, this is Lim's first time contesting in the games.

Image of Justin Liu and Denise Lim via jd.sailing/Instagram.

Meanwhile, Carlyle, 17, finished with a bronze in the girls' ILCA4 event. Thailand won the event, while India took second place.

Former 2018 Games champions Low and Kimberly Lim earned a bronze medal in the women's 49erFX, behind China and Japan.

On Sep. 25, wushu exponent Kimberly Ong won bronze in the women's changquan event, as Singapore's very first 2023 Asian Games medal, The Straits Times reported.

At the last Asian Games in 2018, the Singapore sailing team won one gold and one bronze.

Across all sports, Singapore finished with a medal tally of 22 medals: four golds, four silvers and 14 bronzes.

Top image of Maximilan Maeder from Singapore National Olympic Council/Facebook, and Ryan Lo from SportSG/Jeremy Lee.

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