13 May 2015

Some tension in the Austrian camp, with the season's dominant Anna Fenninger at odds with her Federation, eager to turn the page and end the collaboration with her manager – Klaus Karcher – to whom the Salzburg champion is very attached. The stance of the reigning world champion on the matter was more than decisive, even threatening retirement from competition if the standoff was not resolved in her favor.

Tensions of a very different kind, concerning more the private and emotional sphere than the purely professional one, involved Lindsey Vonn: the American champion announced, via social networks, the breakup of her relationship with golf ace Tiger Woods. The couple, perhaps the world's first in terms of sporting talent, are splitting after three years together.

But the most striking news is undoubtedly that concerning the Slovenian female skiing ace, Tina Maze. The Yugoslav star, winner of everything there was to win in her career – from Olympic golds to world titles, from discipline Cups to the overall World Cup – has announced her intention to take a sabbatical year. Reason? "My body and my mind need a longer rest than usual. I will take a one-year break before making any further decision." The recurring question has of course immediately become whether she will return to racing or not: with a palmarès full of everything a female skier dreams of since childhood, and considering that she would have to return to the tight competitive rhythms at 33 years old (she has just turned 32) after a year off, the question is anything but straightforward.

The coming months will give us new developments on the whole affair.