World Champion Slovenian skier Tina Maze has got the skiing world’s knickers in a twist with her controversial choice of underwear.The offending item was confiscated by FIS officials and taken away for testing. But at last weekend’s following race in the World Cup calendar, held in Cortina, Maze was still waiting to hear if her underwear had passed the tests.
Delivering her message loud and clear to the authorities, while briefly waiting in the leader’s box and with TV cameras trained on her, she stripped off to reveal “Not your business” written on her sports bra.
Maze eventually finished third, and said of her message, “I like to have fun also. The first thing important for me is to ski fast and I was skiing fast, then I can joke also a little bit about myself, about everything around me.”
FIS issued a statement on Saturday saying the garment had passed permeability tests, but recommended racers not to wear it because it could prevent the body from breathing, and concluded that part of the membrane was banned under the rules.
By the race on Sunday however, Maze was yet to receive her underwear back. “I really don't understand now if I can use it or not,” Maze said. “If it's all OK, if the factory explained that it's not plastic, that it's (a) normal under-suit, it shouldn't be blocked. I hope we will get an answer — yes or no.
“My underwear is obviously too sexy for the Swiss,” said Maze.
