Alberto Tomba

Alberto Tomba ( born December 19, 1966 in Bologna ) is an Italian former Alpine skier. With three Olympic gold medals, two world championship titles, a victory in the overall standings of the Alpine Ski World Cup, and 50 victories in World Cup races he end of 1980 and won in the 1990s, he belongs alongside the Swede Ingemar Stenmark and the Austrian Hermann Maier of the most successful ski racers of all time. He is the most successful Italian in this sport. Tomba took almost exclusively in the slalom and giant slalom, winning four times each the World Cup standings. Because of its extravagant appearance and numerous affairs Tomba was for years the focus of the mass media and in Italy was a superstar. His nickname Tomba la bomba ( " Tomba the Bomb " ) is derived from both of its atypical for alpine skiers muscular stature as well as the dynamic and powerful stressed driving.

  • 2.1 The Olympic Games
  • 2.2 World Championships
  • 2.3 Junior World Championships
  • 2.4 World Cup ratings
  • 2.5 victories in World Cup race
  • 2.6 Italian Championships

Biography

The beginnings

Alberto Tomba grew up in very affluent circumstances. Father Franco built the menswear business, founded in the 1930s, the grandfather in Bologna into a thriving textile company. The family lived in the property Castel De Britti in San Lazzaro di Savena, a suburb of Bologna. She owned a holiday home in the posh ski resort Cortina d' Ampezzo, where his son Alberto learned as a four year old to ski.

From 1983 played Tomba race in the European Cup. At the Junior World Championship 1984, he was fourth in the giant slalom, whereupon he ascended into the B- team. In the same year he made headlines for the first time when he hit the parallelogram di Natale, a nightly show race in Milan, all the competitors. With numerous good results in the European Cup and FIS races, he was promoted to the senior team. Tomba was a member of a sports soldier in the sports promotion group of Carabinieri and reached on the basis of his performance in winter sports competitions the rank sergeant major. He left the Carabinieri in 1996 voluntarily to forestall disciplinary action for improper conduct.

His debut in the World Cup had Tomba on December 17, 1985 in the slalom the 3- Tre race in Madonna di Campiglio. On February 23, 1986, he took the slalom at Åre first World Cup points when he surprisingly went with the high start number 62 to sixth place. For the first time he scored a podium finish on December 14, 1986 in the giant slalom on the Gran Risa in Alta Badia, where he finished second. Also unexpected was winning the giant slalom bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships in Crans -Montana.

Stardom

The final breakthrough of the world leaders succeeded Tomba in 1987 / 88th His first World Cup victory on 27 November 1987 at slalom in Sestriere was followed by seven more this winter. He won the discipline ratings in the slalom and giant slalom, while he was beaten only the Swiss Pirmin Zurbriggen in the overall standings. The overall victory missed Tomba in the following years several times because he hardly ever super-G races contested never runs and - supposedly out of respect for his mother, who was concerned about her son's safety. His superiority in the technical disciplines demonstrated Tomba at the Olympic Winter Games 1988 in Calgary, both in the giant slalom and the slalom when he won the gold medal in Nakiska. In 1988 he was first honored by the International Association of Ski Journalists with the Skieur d'Or, in 1992 and 1996, he received this award two more times.

The numerous successes made ​​Tomba international star. This was especially in his eccentric, marked by a metropolitan edge occurrence, which was from rural areas in stark contrast to the native image of many skiers. Tomba celebrated his successes excessive and made ​​the formerly often neglected race in the technical disciplines impact on the audience events. Especially in Italy he made with the attending parties Milan's glitterati and numerous real or fictional love affairs regularly for headlines. So it was with Martina Colombari, the Miss Italia 1991, for example, dating for five years. - On the triggered by tabloid media and paparazzi media frenzy followed in the 1988/89 season comparatively mediocre performance. Tomba just won a slalom at the World Championships in 1989 in Vail was a sixth place his best result. He responded by intensifying his training schedule and his environment completely restructured. Tomba broke away from the structures of the Italian Ski Federation, presented a private care team together and committed Gustav Thöni as a personal trainer.

Successes and failures

Due to a broken collarbone he missed much of the 1989/90 season, but he scored three victories. In the 1990/91 season, he won five victories sovereign the giant slalom discipline rating it came up a slalom victory. Winning the overall World Cup, he missed against Marc Girardelli only because he was eliminated in some slaloms. At the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach -Hinterglemm he could again win any medal: In the giant slalom, he rushed to the fastest time in the first race, he finished fourth in the slalom.

A second peak reached Tombas career in the 1991 / 92nd He won six of the nine discharged world cup slalom races and won three times in the giant slalom, which significantly enough to win in the World Cup rankings in both disciplines. Also this year, had his waiver of racing in the speed disciplines meant that he missed the overall victory; this time against the Swiss Paul Accola. At the Olympic Winter Games in 1992 he won the gold medal in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom. Thus Tomba was the first skier ever, had managed to become Olympic champions twice in a row in the same discipline.

Rather disappointing for Tomba was the 1992/93 season, when he again managed only a single slalom victory. Through a weakened flu, he stepped to the 1993 World Championships in Morioka, but did not in both races to the finish. During the season 1993 /94 Tomba proved with four wins again as the world's best slalom racers; but his achievements in the giant slalom remained well below expectations. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, he won his fifth Olympic medal, a silver in the slalom.

The Winter 1994/95 proved to be Tombas best season ever. Again he dominated the slalom almost at will and won seven of the nine races held. In the giant slalom four more wins were added, which he decided in this discipline the World Cup rankings for themselves. With a total of eleven victories this season, he won the overall title by a large margin. His last remaining career goal of winning a world title, he could not realize the time being, since the world championship in the Sierra Nevada had to be postponed for a year due to lack of snow.

End of the sports career

Three wins at the start of the 1995/96 season made ​​Tomba one of the favorites of the World Cup 1996. After several missed chances in past World Championships, he was able to meet the high expectations in the Sierra Nevada. Both in the giant slalom and the slalom he won the world title. In the slalom discipline standings of the World Cup, he had to because of several failures of Frenchman Sébastien Amiez beaten.

Tomba pointed in the media for the first time the possibility of his resignation, but he decided to continue his career for the time being. After eight years of collaboration he separated from his coach Gustav Thöni. Due to a training injury, he began the 1996/97 season with a few weeks delay, but then was able to improve continuously and was after slalom win in Schladming the favorites for the World Cup 1997. Sestriere he left in the giant slalom, but in slalom won by fever weakened Tomba in front of 50,000 fans the bronze medal.

Tombas last major destination was the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. After another win in Schladming he was again among the favorites for an Olympic victory. But the Olympic race in Hakuba brought him no happiness. In the giant slalom and the slalom he fell he could not compete for the second round because of severe back pain. At the last race of the season, the slalom in Crans -Montana, Tomba celebrated his 50th World Cup victory. This was also his last race, because in the summer of 1998, he announced his retirement from professional racing. Tomba is the only ski racer, who succeeded so far to win at least one World Cup race in eleven consecutive winters.

Following the resignation

Tomba tried after retiring to start a career as a film actor. In 2000, he was in the film, Alex l' ariete ( " Alex, the ram " ) to see Damiano Damiani. On the side of Michelle Hunziker he played the lead role, a criminal staggered GIS police officer who must protect the witness of a crime from criminals. The action film, which had already been made ​​two years earlier, was a huge flop; more role offers for Tomba did not materialize. During five years Tomba Tomba organized in the U.S. Tour, a race series for children.

In 1997, there were rumors, Tomba had not declared a major part of his lucrative endorsement deals (including the pasta manufacturer Barilla, the apparel company Fila and the automotive group Fiat ) with the Italian tax authorities. The Guardia di Finanza met with her ​​several months of investigations on a nested system of accounts and shell companies abroad and then brought charges of tax evasion. Although Tomba 2000 agreed with the tax authorities on an additional payment of around four million euros for the years 1993 to 1996, but the indictment remained still exist. In January 2002, he was acquitted on all counts. On the other hand became a father Franco Tomba, who had controlled the financial affairs of his son, was sentenced to 16 months in prison on probation.

Tomba was in 1999 as the official representative of the advertising winter sports resort Sestriere an active supporter of the candidacy of Turin for the Olympic Winter Games 2006. During the opening ceremony in Turin, he carried the Olympic torch into the stadium. In the course of the games he worked for the Italian state television RAI as a commentator. In December 2008, Tomba published his biography, entitled prima e seconda Manche ( " the first and second run ").

Achievements

Olympic games

  • Calgary 1988: 1st Giant Slalom, Slalom 1
  • 1992 Albertville: 1 Giant Slalom, Slalom 2
  • Lillehammer 1994: 2nd Slalom

World Championships

  • Crans -Montana 1987: 3 Giant Slalom, Super -G 14
  • Vail 1989: 6 Super -G, Giant Slalom 7
  • Saalbach 1991: 4th Slalom
  • Sierra Nevada 1996: 1 Slalom, Giant Slalom 1
  • Sestriere 1997: 3rd slalom

Junior World Championships

  • Sestriere 1983: 16 Slalom
  • Sugarloaf 1984: 4 Giant Slalom

World Cup ratings

Alberto Tomba has ever won the World Cup (1995 ), plus eight more wins in discipline ratings.

  • Season 1987/88: 2nd Overall World Cup, 1st Giant Slalom, Slalom 1
  • Season 1988/89: 3rd Overall World Cup, 2nd Slalom
  • 1989/90 season: 2nd Slalom
  • Season 1990/91: 2nd Overall World Cup, 1st Giant Slalom
  • 1991/92 season: 2nd Overall World Cup, 1st Giant Slalom, Slalom 1
  • 1992/ 93: 5 Overall World Cup, 2nd Giant Slalom, Slalom 2
  • Season 1993/94: 3 Overall World Cup, 1st slalom
  • Season 1994/95: first overall World Cup, 1st Giant Slalom, Slalom 1
  • 1995/96 season: 5th overall World Cup, 2nd Slalom
  • Season 1996/ 97: 5 Slalom

Victories in World Cup race

Overall, Alberto Tomba won 50 World Cup races (15 giant slalom, slalom 35 ). In addition, 26 second places and 12 third places.

Slalom

Giant Slalom

Italian Championships

Alberto Tomba won a total of eight Italian championship:

  • Slalom (5): 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
  • Giant Slalom ( 3): 1990, 1991, 1992

Awards

Source

  • World Sports Archives, Issue 40 /1999 ( Munzinger archive)
Slalom skiing Winter Olympic Games Alpine skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1987 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1997 1995 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1988 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1991 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1992 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1994 Alpine Skiing World Cup List of Olympic medalists in alpine skiing Hauptfeldwebel Crans-Montana Downhill FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989 Vail (Colorado) FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1993 Morioka, Iwate Sierra Nevada (Spain) Nagano, Nagano Barilla Group Shell corporation 1990 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1993 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1996 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1997 Alpine Skiing World Cup Municipality of Kranjska Gora Bad Kleinkirchheim Oppdal Waterville Valley, New Hampshire Geilo Park City (Utah) Wengen Chamonix France Tignes Lech (Vorarlberg) Flachau Saas-Fee Aspen (Colorado) Adelboden Bormio La Repubblica Die Weltwoche Blick Berliner Zeitung Netzeitung Stein Eriksen Roger Staub Jean-Claude Killy Heini Hemmi Max Julen Markus Wasmeier Stephan Eberharter Benjamin Raich Carlo Janka Othmar Schneider Ernst Hinterseer Josef Stiegler Piero Gros Finn Christian Jagge Thomas Stangassinger Jean-Pierre Vidal Giuliano Razzoli Mario Matt Egon Zimmermann Karl Schranz Steve Mahre Lasse Kjus Bode Miller David Zogg Anton Seelos Rudolf Rominger Georges Schneider Josef Rieder Charles Bozon Jonas Nilsson Tom Stiansen Manfred Pranger Jean-Baptiste Grange Marcel Hirscher List of FIS Alpine Ski World Cup men's champions Luc Alphand Integrated Authority File
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