Maze’s Olympic coach breaks ties with the Slovenian

Apr 16, 2014
Tina Maze at the Sochi Olympic Games. GEPA/Andreas Pranter

Tina Maze at the Sochi Olympic Games. GEPA/Andreas Pranter

As first reported by the Italian publication Race Ski Magazine, Tina Maze’s most recent coach who led her to two Olympic gold medals and seemed to salvage her World Cup season after taking over midway through the winter will no longer work with the Slovenian racer. Mauro Pini, the Swiss coach who joined Maze’s staff in January, was only contracted through the end of the 2014 season. Despite his success with Maze, he will not continue to work with the skier next season who won the 2013 overall title after accumulating a record-breaking 2,414 points but who finished 2014 ranked fourth with only 964 points.

Maze’s coach in 2013, Livio Magoni, departed at the end of last season to take over the Italian women’s team. He was replaced by Walter Ronconi, who Maze dismissed in the middle of the season and replaced with Pini. Now Pini leaves amidst rumors that he may accept a position with the Italian team, possibly replacing Magoni who is being courted to return to Team to aMaze in a grand carousel of staffing rotations. Whoever is hired to work with Maze will become the fourth coach she has trained with in a single year.

“It was my decision,” said Pini regarding his departure from the team. “Tina wanted me to stay. But for me it was clear from the beginning that this should be only a temporary commitment for me,” he told the Ticino News.

Maze’s boyfriend, Andrea Massi, remains head coach and team manager, and he informed the press that they do not yet have a known replacement for Pini heading into the 2014-15 season which features the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at Beaver Creek, Colo., in February.

About the Author: C.J. Feehan

Christine J. Feehan is a USSA Level 300 coach who spent more than a decade training athletes at U.S. ski academies - Burke, Sugar Bowl, and Killington - before serving as Editor in Chief at Ski Racing Media through 2017. She worked for the FIS on the World Cup tour for three years and then settled into her current home in Oslo, Norway.

Related Post

  • Death

    Remembering Scott Zahn: A Coach Who Made Skiers Faster

    Longtime alpine coach Scott Zahn died Aug. 19 after a battle with cancer. His knowledge, intensity and commitment to the sport influenced generations of athletes and coaches across North America.

    Sep 14, 2026
  • Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics

    Andrew Kurka: A Legacy of Grit, Fearlessness, and Evolution

    Three Paralympic Games and a gold medal later, Andrew Kurka has become one of the most fearless athletes in para alpine skiing. Raised on a remote Alaskan homestead, Kurka built a career defined by grit, resilience, and relentless work ethic. From charging lines others would not attempt to inspiring the next generation of athletes, his journey reflects a legacy built on perseverance and purpose both on and off the slopes.

    Mar 20, 2026
  • Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics

    Audrey Crowley: Chasing Speed, Podiums, and the Next Big Stage

    At just 19, Audrey Crowley is emerging as one of the most exciting young athletes in Para Alpine skiing. The Eagle, Colorado native has already earned multiple World Cup podiums and a World Championships bronze medal while balancing competition in both para and able-bodied racing. With the Milan Cortina Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon and a new chapter ahead at the University of Denver, Crowley’s rise on the international stage is only just beginning.

    Mar 20, 2026