Maze was expected to announce whether she will retire but the 31-year-old left the door open for another season.

She announced after the end of the season in late March that she will take some time to decide on whether to continue her career and some expected that today's welcome party and the press conference in Črna will be the day of the decision.

Addressing the welcome party, Maze thanked her natives and other skiing fans for their support throughout the gruelling season in which she conceded the overall World Cup title to Anna Fenninger of Austria in the last race.

At the press conference that followed, Maze said that the decision about retirement from professional skiing had yet to be made. "I'm not going to say anything new, my decision has not been made yet," she told reporters, assessing the past season as excellent.

Maze, a two-time Olympic champion from Sochi in 2014, was also the star of the World Championships in Beaver Creek, US, in February, winning gold medals in downhill and super combined and silver in super-G to add to the one gold and four silvers won at previous world championships.

"We are here to celebrate the beautiful and successful season, together with my entire team, which breathed together with me for the past year. As I already said on the stage, I wish that this is not my last, but next to last, or next to next to last season."

Maze has not fully realised yet that she is one of the best Alpine skiers of all time and the most successful Slovenian athlete ever. "Only after five or ten years, when I look back at it in peace, will I realise what I had done in those years."

Slovenia's best skier of all time was greeted by President Borut Pahor, Črna na Koroškem Mayor Romana Lesjak, Alpine Ski Association head Jurij Žurej, Olympic Committee president Borut Gabrovec and numerous former skiers.