Tina Maze announces retirement from World Cup competition

Putting an end to the speculation, Tina Maze officially announced her retirement from World Cup ski racing at a press conference in Soelden on Oct. 20.

The Slovenian skier took a year off from the circuit  in 2015-16 in order to pursue other interests like finishing her college degree, leaving fans hoping she would return to the White Circus after her break. While she no longer plans to compete at an elite level, Maze does hope to push out of the start one final time in her home country at Maribor in January, according to a tweet from the Slovenian Press Agency.

What’s next for Maze? She’ll continue the work she started last season with Eurosport as a commentator for the World Cup.

“Nothing will replace the adrenalin rush of competing at an Olympic Games or World Cup event, but this is a new chapter in my life, one I am excited about, and I hope to give fans a different perspective of the action during competition time,” she said.

Maze won the World Cup overall globe in the 2012-13 season, when she earned 11 victories and won a record number of World Cup points–2414, beating the previous record held by Austrian Hermann Maier with 2000 points from the 2000 season. She is also one of just six women who have won in all five World Cup events and one of three women who have won in all five disciplines in a single season.

Tina Maze: "My story has been full of ups and downs…I wouldn't say the story ends here. It's the start of a new beginning." pic.twitter.com/we18mtPuhr

— Eurosport (@Eurosport) October 20, 2016