Mara Zini
Mara Zini ( born October 26, 1979 in Sondalo ) is a former Italian Shorttrackerin.
Zini launched first for the club Frecce rossonere Aosta, later for the club Centro Sportivo Esercito and trained at the Ice Sports Center in Courmayeur. It belonged since 1995 to the Italian national team and played in the Junior World Championships in 1996 their first international title fights. There, she reached over 1500 m the semi-finals and missed a fourth in the final of the 500 m medal just barely. A year later she started again at the Junior World Championships, reaching over 1000 m and 1500 m respectively the semi-finals. At the European Championships in 1997 and 1998 in Malmö in Budapest Zini belonged to the Italian season, and won gold in each case, it was her first international medals. In October 1999, Zini debuted in Salt Lake City, finally in the World Cup. In its first season, three semi-finals over 1000 m and 1500 m were her best results. On the way home Euro 2000 in Bormio Zini also succeeded in individual races of the breakthrough. She reached the finals in three individual races and was in the all around sixth. With the season they again won the gold medal. In Sheffield Zini launched for the first time at the World Championships, but could in their individual races not survive the prelims. In the 2000 /01 season they reached several semi-finals in World Cup races. In the overall World Cup standings, she was ninth. At the European Championships in The Hague Zini won silver in the all around. About 500 m and 1500 m, it was second, about 1000 m third parties. In the following season Zini repeated winning the silver medal in the all around at the 2002 European Championships in Grenoble. She reached the finals in all single race. About 500 m and 3000 m, it was second, about 1500 m and 1000 m Fifth Third. With the season she won another gold medal. Zini qualified for the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. She reached over 500 m and 1500 m the semi-finals and over 1000 m the quarter-finals. With the season they finished fifth.
In the season 2002/ 03 Zini drew more than 500 m for the first time in a final in an individual World Cup race one. With the season it was also once and placed third for the first time on the World Cup podium. The season highlights Zini was especially successful in the season and team competitions. With the first season they won at European Championships in St Petersburg gold at the World Championships in Warsaw missed the Fourth Quartet as a medal just barely. Another medal she won in Sofia at the World Team Championships, where she finished third. Also in the 2003/04 season Zini was especially successful with the team. In the World Cup they began with the season a total of three podiums. Over 1500 m, it was eighth in the World Cup discipline. At the European Championships in Zoetermeer, she won silver in the relay, but was not used in the final. In the World Team Championships in St. Petersburg, she was again third with the team. In the season 2004/ 05 Zini could draw attention to themselves again in a single race. She reached two finals in the World Cup. In the overall World Cup it was Eleventh, about 500 m in the World Cup discipline seventh. At the European Championships in Turin and the World Championships in Beijing Zini could reach the semi-finals as the best result over 500 m or 1500 m. In the season 2005/ 06 Zini won in the relay twice in third place. At the European Championships in Krynica Zdrój she could again win the gold medal in the relay. At the Olympic Games in Turin and the World Championships in Minneapolis Zini surprisingly won the bronze medal in the relay.
In its last season in 2006/ 07 Zini reached again about 500 meters a final in a World Cup race. Your last international title fights, she contested at the World Team Championships in Budapest, where they were beaten with their teammates missed the final. By 2009, Zini started yet at smaller competitions, but no longer belonged to the Italian national team.
Even her cousin Katia was a successful Shorttrackerin and for many years its direct rival.