The 33-year-old Slovenian, who captured two golds at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, had already skipped last season to take a sabbatical from the sport.

On Thursday, she chose the Austrian venue of Soelden, which opens the 2016/2017 season and where she won her first World Cup race in 2002, to announce that she was making her absence permanent.

"I have no more motivation, no energy," said the winner of 26 World Cup races and a four-time victor at world championships.

Maze, just one of six skiers to have won races in the sport's five disciplines, will not be stepping away from the slopes entirely as she will work as a commentator for television in the coming season.