Key Points

During his final race, Maximilian wore a white headband inscribed in saffron-colored Hindi letters with the phrase Kabhi Haar Mat Mano (Never Give Up). The top of the band also featured a lotus flower, which, according to the athlete, symbolizes purity and resilience and reflects his cultural connection to Buddhism.

For Maximilian, this gesture was more than just a lucky charm. It was his way of saying thank you to India. After defeating Japan’s Ryota Fukunaga and Botswana’s Bose Mokgwathi, Maximilian said, “We athletes are welcomed here with great warmth. Wearing words in Hindi on my forehead was a way to show respect and gratitude. Wherever we compete, we try to express our feelings for the host country in this way.”

The idea, he said, came from his and German long jumper Markus Rehm’s coach, Olympic javelin medallist Steffi Nerius. Steffi had a tradition of wearing words in the host country’s language as a mark of courtesy. Maximilian embraced that tradition in Delhi—and made it his own.

The lotus symbol added another meaningful layer to the headband. For the 29-year-old athlete, it represented resilience and grace—qualities that mirrored his own journey of recovery from injury.

“I know that in Buddhism, grace and resilience are important. It’s about moving forward unscathed through adversity. For me, it was the perfect symbol,” he said.

This wasn’t just for show—the message and symbols on the headband influenced his mindset. That mindset came alive in the final moments of the race. With Fukunaga ahead, Maximilian seemed to be missing out on gold, but the words on his forehead reminded him not to give up. In the last meter, he gave it his all and won by just three hundredths of a second.

After the race, he admitted, “I had knee pain and couldn’t train properly for weeks. So this medal was completely unexpected. But the headband reminded me—never give up.”

Maximilian’s headband became a talking point after the race. He appeared joyful and emotional, because for him, the moment was more than just about the medal—it was about the connection an athlete feels when embracing the culture of a country that has cared for and hosted them so graciously.

In the end, he said, “In sports, respect matters just as much as performance. Tonight, I just wanted to show that respect to India. And I’m happy that India gave me a gold medal in tough times—for that, I’ll always be grateful.”

- IANS