OLYMPICS: Maze Takes Gold in Downhill

The success for Maze, who won two silvers at the Vancouver Olympics four years ago, comes after a frustrating fourth place in Monday's super-combined event and a lacklustre season by Maze's standards, since she won last year's overall World Cup with ease.

"After all I went through this year, this is something unbelievable. I remembered the first ever race in my childhood before this downhill...I thought about it the whole night. I won that time and I told myself that I can also do it today," Maze said.

"Downhill is my best discipline at the moment, something I could not have imagined two years ago. I pulled off a top performance, with a mistake, though, but good enough for victory," Maze said, greeting the fans home.

Entering the race with bib 21, the Slovenian champion started vigorously down the course, opening a lead ahead of Gisin in the upper part, which she increased further in the middle section to raise Slovenia's hopes for a medal.

The 30-year-old led by 0.38 seconds on the penultimate intermediate time, an advantage that she lost by the finish line, but the scoreboard showed a tie, which meant Tina and Gisin have become the first athletes ever to share Winter Olympics gold.

"I've always believed a Slovenian girl who trains hard can win a downhill. The victory is amazing," said Andrea Massi, head of Maze's team and her life companion who contributed greatly to her success.

He has already set his sights on the upcoming races, considering that Maze as an all-rounder also has medal hopes in the super-G and giant slalom races, which are scheduled for Saturday and next Tuesday.

"There are also the super-G, the giant slalom as well as the slalom. Tina now needs to believe that she can also achieve a lot in slalom and we'll be training on this hill until she believes she's good," Massi said about his goals.

Meanwhile, first congratulations have showered in via Twitter, with President Borut Pahor hailing the champion as an inspiration to the nation in his congratulatory cable.

"You inspire us with your sincerity...I am deeply grateful to you and your team for not stopping to believe in yourself. This is an important message to all of us. The path is not over until your reach the end," Pahor said.

Pahor decorated Maze with the Golden Order of Services last year for her contribution to promoting Slovenia globally.

The government, the parliamentary speaker and Sport Minister Jernej Pikalo sent their congratulations via Twitter with Pikalo extending his "heartfelt congratulations" to Maze, saying her achievement was a historic dream come true.

This is already the fourth medal for Slovenia in Sochi and the fifteenth in Winter Olympics, but the first ever Winter Olympic gold.