Ski giant Maze gets tiny tribute
Ljubljana, 23 November - Slovenian ski star Tina Maze may have picked up virtually all top accolades in skiing, but now she has got another one-up on her competitors.
Črna na Koroškem
Tina Maze.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
Skiing is about as far from the tropics as possible, but this has not prevented a Slovenian biologist from naming a tiny Madagascar tree spider after Maze - Caerostris tinamaze.
Matjaž Gregorič told public broadcaster RTV Slovenija he was studying spiders in Madagascar in 2010, finding many previously undescribed species.
He said a friend recommended he name one after Maze.
"I started to describe these spiders the season when Tina Maze broke all Alpine skiing records. A friend recommended that I name one after her and I found the proposal excellent," he said.
Gregorič admires her achievements. "I thought it appropriate to pay her a biological tribute."
But he has not yet broken the news to her. "I hope she takes this as an honour."