Alberto Tomba

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Alberto Tomba Alpine skiing
Alberto Tomba 2006
nation ItalyItaly Italy
birthday 19th December 1966 (age 53)
place of birth Bologna , Italy
size 182 cm
Career
discipline Giant slalom , slalom , super-G
society CS Carabinieri
status resigned
End of career March 15, 1998
Medal table
Olympic games 3 × gold 2 × silver 0 × bronze
World championships 2 × gold 0 × silver 2 × bronze
Olympic rings winter Olympics
gold Calgary 1988 Giant slalom
gold Calgary 1988 slalom
gold Albertville 1992 Giant slalom
silver Albertville 1992 slalom
silver Lillehammer 1994 slalom
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships
bronze Crans-Montana 1987 Giant slalom
gold Sierra Nevada 1996 Giant slalom
gold Sierra Nevada 1996 slalom
bronze Sestriere 1997 slalom
Placements in the Alpine Ski World Cup
 Individual World Cup debut 17th December 1985
 Individual world cup victories 50
 Overall World Cup 1. ( 1994/95 )
 Super G World Cup 7. ( 1987/88 )
 Giant Slalom World Cup 1. (1987/88, 1990/91 ,
1991/92 , 1994/95)
 Slalom World Cup 1. ( 1987/88 , 1991/92,
1993/94 , 1994/95)
 Podium placements 1. 2. 3.
 Giant slalom 15th 11 5
 slalom 35 15th 7th
 

Alberto Tomba (born December 19, 1966 in Bologna ) is a former Italian ski racer . In his career he won three Olympic gold medals , two world championship titles and the overall World Cup in the 1994/95 season . With 50 World Cup victories in the late 1980s and 1990s, he is the fourth most successful ski racer in history after Ingemar Stenmark , Marcel Hirscher and Hermann Maier . Tomba drove almost exclusively in the disciplines of slalom and giant slalom and won the World Cup four times. Due to his extravagant appearance and numerous affairs, Tomba was in the focus of the mass media for years and became a superstar in Italy. His nickname Tomba la bomba ("Tomba the bomb") is derived from his muscular stature, which is atypical for alpine skiers, as well as from the dynamic and powerful driving style.

biography

The beginnings

Alberto Tomba grew up in a very wealthy family. Father Franco expanded his grandfather's men's fashion business in Bologna , founded in the 1930s, into a flourishing textile company. The family lived in the Castel De Britti estate near San Lazzaro di Savena , a suburb of Bologna. She owned a holiday home in the posh winter sports resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo , where her son Alberto learned to ski at the age of four.

From 1983 Tomba competed in races in the European Cup . At the Junior World Championships in 1984 he was fourth in the giant slalom, after which he was promoted to the B national team. In the same year he made headlines for the first time when he beat all competitors in the Parallelo di Natale , a night show race in Milan . With numerous good results in the European Cup and FIS races , he was promoted to the senior national team. As a sports soldier, Tomba belonged to the sports promotion group of the Carabinieri and achieved the rank of sergeant major due to his achievements in winter sports competitions . He left the Carabinieri voluntarily in 1996 in order to forestall disciplinary action for improper conduct.

Tomba had its premiere in the World Cup on December 17, 1985 in the slalom of the 3-Tre race in Madonna di Campiglio . On February 23, 1986, he scored World Cup points for the first time at the slalom in Åre when he surprisingly finished sixth with the high starting number 62. He achieved his first podium on December 14, 1986 as second in the giant slalom of Alta Badia . Winning the giant slalom bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships in Crans-Montana was just as unexpected .

Star hype

In the 1987/88 season Tomba was able to establish itself at the top of the world. His first World Cup victory on November 27, 1987 in the Sestriere slalom was followed by seven more that winter. He won the discipline rankings in slalom and giant slalom, while in the overall ranking only the Swiss Pirmin Zurbriggen had to admit defeat (with 281 points compared to 310 for the Swiss). Tomba missed the overall victory several times in the following years because he never competed downhill and hardly any Super-Gs - allegedly out of consideration for his mother, who was concerned about the safety of her son. Tomba also demonstrated his superiority in technical disciplines at the 1988 Winter Olympics when he won gold in both giant slalom and slalom in Nakiska near Calgary . In 1988 he was honored for the first time by the International Association of Ski Journalists (AIJS) with the Skieur d'Or , in 1992 and 1996 he received this award two more times.

The numerous successes made Tomba an international star. This was due in particular to his eccentric demeanor, characterized by metropolitan flair, which was in complete contrast to the down-to-earth image of many ski racers from rural areas. Tomba celebrated its successes excessively and turned the races in the technical disciplines, which had often been neglected in the past, into popular events. Especially in Italy, he regularly made headlines with his participation in parties of the Milanese crowd and numerous real or fictional love affairs. For example, he was in a relationship with Martina Colombari , Miss Italia from 1991, for five years .

The media hype triggered by the tabloid media and paparazzi was followed by comparatively mediocre performances in the 1988/89 season . Tomba only won one slalom and at the 1989 World Cup in Vail , sixth place was his best result. He responded by intensifying his training schedule and completely restructuring his environment. Tomba broke away from the structures of the Italian ski association, put together its own support team and hired Gustav Thöni as a personal trainer.

Successes and failures

Because of a broken collarbone , he missed a large part of the 1989/90 season , but still managed to win three. In the 1990/91 season he won the giant slalom discipline with five victories, plus a slalom victory. He only missed winning the overall World Cup against Marc Girardelli because he was eliminated in a few slaloms. At the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm , he again failed to win a medal: in the giant slalom, he fell after setting the fastest time in the first run, and in the slalom, he was fourth.

Tomba's career reached another high point in the 1991/92 season . He won six of the nine World Cup slaloms and three times the giant slalom, which was clearly enough to win the World Cup in both disciplines. Also this year, his renouncement of races in the fast disciplines meant that he missed the overall victory, this time against the Swiss Paul Accola . At the 1992 Winter Olympics , he won the gold medal in the giant slalom and the silver medal in the slalom. Thus, Tomba was the first ski racer ever to become Olympic champion twice in a row in the same discipline.

The 1992/93 season was rather disappointing for Tomba , when he managed to win only one slalom again. Weakened by the flu , he entered the 1993 World Championships in Morioka , but did not finish in either race. During the 1993/94 season , Tomba again proved to be the best slalom driver with four wins, but his performance in the giant slalom remained well below expectations. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer , he won his fifth Olympic medal, the silver one in slalom.

The winter of 1994/95 turned out to be Tomba's best season ever. Again he dominated the slalom almost at will and won seven of the nine races held. In the giant slalom there were four more victories, with which he won the World Cup ranking in this discipline. With a total of eleven victories this season, he won the overall ranking by a large margin. His last remaining career goal, winning a world championship, he could not achieve for the time being, as the world championship in the Sierra Nevada had to be postponed by a year due to lack of snow.

End of sports career

Three wins at the start of the 1995/96 season made Tomba one of the favorites for the 1996 World Cup . After several missed chances at previous world championships, he was able to meet the high expectations in the Sierra Nevada. He won the world title in both giant slalom and slalom. In the slalom discipline of the World Cup, he had to admit defeat to French Sébastien Amiez due to several failures .

Tomba first indicated the possibility of his resignation in the media, but he decided to continue his career for the time being. After eight years of working together, he parted ways with his trainer Gustav Thöni . Due to a training injury, he started the 1996/97 season with a few weeks delay, but was then able to improve continuously and was one of the favorites for the 1997 World Cup after winning the slalom in Schladming . In Sestriere he was eliminated in the giant slalom, but in the slalom the fever-weakened Tomba won the bronze medal in front of 50,000 fans.

Tomba's last big goal was the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano . After another victory in Schladming, he was again one of the favorites for an Olympic victory. But the Olympic races in Hakuba brought him no luck. In the giant slalom he fell and in the slalom he was unable to start the second run due to severe back pain. In the last race of the season, the slalom of 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 top-class sport. Tomba is the only ski racer who has so far managed to win at least one World Cup race in eleven consecutive winters.

After the resignation

After his retirement, Tomba tried to start a career as a film actor. In 2000 he was in the film Alex l'ariete ("Alex the Aries") by Damiano Damiani to see. At the side of Michelle Hunziker , he played the main role, a GIS policeman who has been transferred to a criminal record and who has to protect the witness of a crime from criminals. The action film, which had been shot two years earlier, turned out to be a complete flop and was seen in theaters by only 597 people; there were no further offers of roles for Tomba. For five years, Tomba organized the Tomba Tour , a racing series for children in the USA .

Alberto Tomba at a charity auction during the 2006 Winter Olympics

In 1997 rumors arose that Tomba had not declared a large part of its lucrative advertising contracts (including with the pasta manufacturer Barilla , the clothing company Fila and the automobile company Fiat ) to the Italian tax office. The Guardia di Finanza met with her several months of investigation on an interlaced system of accounts and shell companies abroad and then brought charges of tax evasion . Although Tomba reached an agreement with the tax authorities in 2000 on an additional payment of around four million euros for the years 1993 to 1996, the charges remained. In January 2002, he was acquitted on all charges. On the other hand, Franco Tomba's father, who handled his son's financial affairs, was sentenced to 16 months suspended prison sentence.

In 1999, Tomba was the official advertising representative of the Sestriere winter sports station and an active supporter of Turin's candidacy for the 2006 Winter Olympics . During the opening ceremony in Turin, he carried the Olympic torch into the stadium. During the games he worked as a commentator for the Italian state television station RAI . In December 2008 Tomba published his biography, which is entitled Prima e seconda Manche ("First and Second Run").

successes

Olympic games

World championships

Junior World Championships

World Cup ratings

Alberto Tomba has won the overall World Cup once (1994/95), plus eight other victories in disciplines.

season total Super G Giant slalom slalom
space Points space Points space Points space Points
1985/86 51. 31 19th 10 23. 11 39. 10
1986/87 15th 76 18th 15th 9. 52 24. 12
1987/88 2. 281 8th. 29 1. 82 1. 170
1988/89 3. 189 7th 37 7th 40 2. 112
1989/90 9. 116 - - 14th 21st 2. 95
1990/91 2. 222 - - 1. 152 6th 70
1991/92 2. 1362 43. 22nd 1. 520 1. 820
1992/93 5. 817 - - 2. 381 2. 436
1993/94 3. 822 - - 11. 282 1. 540
1994/95 1. 1150 - - 1. 450 1. 700
1995/96 5. 766 - - 8th. 276 2. 490
1996/97 25th 352 - - - - 5. 352
1997/98 14th 506 - - 13. 171 7th 290

Victories in world cup races

Alberto Tomba has won a total of 50 world cup races (15 giant slaloms, 35 slaloms). There are also 26 second places and 12 third places. In addition, at the season finale on March 27, 1988, Tomba won the parallel slalom in Saalbach ahead of Pirmin Zurbriggen, which is only part of the Nations Cup .

slalom

date place country
November 27, 1987 Sestriere Italy
December 16, 1987 Madonna di Campiglio Italy
December 20, 1987 Kranjska Gora Yugoslavia
17th January 1988 Bad Kleinkirchheim Austria
March 19, 1988 Are Sweden
March 22, 1988 Oppdal Norway
December 11, 1988 Madonna di Campiglio Italy
November 29, 1989 Waterville Valley United States
March 8, 1990 Geilo Norway
March 12, 1990 Halls Sweden
December 11, 1990 Sestriere Italy
November 24, 1991 Park City United States
December 10, 1991 Sestriere Italy
5th January 1992 Kranjska Gora Slovenia
January 19, 1992 Kitzbühel Austria
January 26, 1992 Wengen Switzerland
March 22, 1992 Crans-Montana Switzerland
January 9, 1993 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany
5th December 1993 Stoneham Canada
December 14, 1993 Sestriere Italy
January 30, 1994 Chamonix France
February 6, 1994 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany
4th December 1994 Tignes France
December 12, 1994 Sestriere Italy
December 20, 1994 Lech Austria
December 21, 1994 Lech Austria
January 8, 1995 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany
January 15, 1995 Kitzbühel Austria
January 22, 1995 Wengen Switzerland
December 19, 1995 Madonna di Campiglio Italy
December 22, 1995 Kranjska Gora Slovenia
January 7, 1996 Flachau Austria
January 30, 1997 Schladming Austria
January 8, 1998 Schladming Austria
March 15, 1998 Crans-Montana Switzerland

Giant slalom

date place country
November 29, 1987 Sestriere Italy
December 13, 1987 Alta Badia Italy
January 19, 1988 Saas-Fee Switzerland
December 16, 1990 Alta Badia Italy
December 21, 1990 Kranjska Gora Yugoslavia
March 1, 1991 Lillehammer Norway
March 9, 1991 Aspen United States
March 21, 1991 Waterville Valley United States
November 23, 1991 Park City United States
December 15, 1991 Alta Badia Italy
March 20, 1992 Crans-Montana Switzerland
December 22, 1994 Alta Badia Italy
January 6, 1995 Kranjska Gora Slovenia
February 4, 1995 Adelboden Switzerland
March 18, 1995 Bormio Italy

Italian championships

Alberto Tomba won a total of eight Italian championship titles :

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

Awards

source

Web links

Commons : Alberto Tomba  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Enterprise Tomba , Die Zeit , May 1996
  2. ↑ a b Buon 40esimo compleanno Albertone , montagna.tv, December 19, 2006
  3. ↑ Leonardo Coen: TOMBA PIANGE, ADDIO ALL 'ARMA . In: La Repubblica , March 28, 1996. Retrieved August 12, 2012. 
  4. ↑ “Everyone thought I was super cool” , Die Weltwoche , February 6, 2002
  5. ^ New career as a film star , Der Spiegel , July 27, 2000
  6. ↑ Article ( Memento from December 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) in Unita from December 16, 2002
  7. ↑ «I just want to be the real Alberto» , Blick , December 10, 2006
  8. ↑ Thomas Götz: La Bomba and the Investigators in Paradise , Berliner Zeitung , September 13, 1997, accessed on June 7, 2015.
  9. ↑ With Styles Poles Apart, Italian Stars Seek Gold , New York Times , February 8, 1998
  10. ↑ Alberto Tomba acquitté de fraude fiscale news.ch January 31, 2002
  11. ^ Alberto Tomba published biography , nachrichten.ch, December 29, 2008
  12. ^ Ski legend Tomba in Turin ( Memento from May 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), Netzeitung , February 2, 2006
  13. ↑ Four points were missing in the parallel duel . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna March 28, 1988, p. 19 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
personal data
SURNAME Tomba, Alberto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian ski racer
DATE OF BIRTH December 19, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH Bologna