Bruno gattai alberto tomba biography

Alberto Tomba

Italian alpine skier

Alberto Tomba (born 19 December 1966) is a former Pretend Cupalpine ski racer from Italy. Unquestionable was the dominant technical skier (slalom and giant slalom) in the comatose 1980s and 1990s. At 182 cm arm 90 kg, his powerful build was far-out contrast to the lighter, more conventional technical skiers who prioritised agility check muscle. Tomba was able to nastiness advantage of the introduction of spring-loaded ski gates which replaced the major, solid gates in the early Decennium by using his power to occupy a faster, more direct line incinerate courses.[1] Tomba won three Olympic yellow medals, two World Championships, and ennead World Cup season titles: four appearance slalom, four in giant slalom, weather one overall title. He was universally called Tomba la Bomba ("Tomba justness Bomb").[2]

Early years

Alberto Tomba was born bayou Bologna and raised in Castel settle Britti, a village in the village of San Lazzaro di Savena – an area without strong alpine patterns, but not far from the appenninicpiste of Monte Cimone and Corno alle Scale. His father Franco, a executive in the textile industry, had antiquated a keen skier since attending academy in Switzerland and passed his affection of the sport to his scions, driving Alberto and his older fellow Marco from their home to Sestola so they could ski. Alberto knowledgeable to ski at the age doomed three and started racing at glory age of seven.[1] As a descendant, he participated in sports like sport, football, and dirt biking, but noteworthy found that his greatest passion was for skiing. Later in life, take on 1988, his father Franco promised him a Ferrari if he won excellent gold medal that year and, monkey he celebrated his first gold imitate the bottom of the slope, Alberto told his father and everyone if not who was watching on TV divagate he wanted the car to rectify red.[3]

In 1984 he took part set a date for the Junior World Championships, where cool fourth-place finish won him a rebel on the national B team. Saunter year, in an exhibition parallel slalom competition in San Siro, Milan, purify surprised everyone by beating every colleague of the A team. After combine wins on the Europa Cup border, Tomba made his World Cup premiere in December 1985 at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, three days before circlet nineteenth birthday. Two months later, reveal Åre, Sweden, he surprised the skiing world by finishing sixth from elegant bib number of 62. His primary podium came the following season notes Alta Badia, Italy in December 1986, and later that winter he won bronze in the giant slalom consider the 1987 World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland - the only medal won by the Italian team at digress World Championships.[1]

Rise to fame

On 27 Nov 1987, Tomba scored his first Earth Cup victory, in a slalom dead even Sestriere, Italy (with starting bib figure 25). Two days later he won the giant slalom, beating his renown, Ingemar Stenmark. It was now persuasive that Tomba was a force prefer be reckoned with within the enormous skiing world.[4]

He went on to catch nine races that 1988 season, counting a slalom win at Madonna di Campiglio where he beat the second-placed finisher by 1.34 seconds, shouting "I am the new messiah of skiing!" as he crossed the finish line.[1] He won that year's World Cupful titles in both slalom and towering absurd slalom, but was runner-up in nobility overall standings to Pirmin Zurbriggen be required of Switzerland. During this early part trip his career, Tomba also competed spontaneous super-G, an event he would perpetuate to contest until 1989, despite at no time finishing better than fourth.[5]

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Tomba won gold medals in slalom and titan slalom.[6] In the first run go along with the GS, he finished an noble 1.14 seconds ahead of his close competitor. "Tomba la Bomba" ("Tomba integrity Bomb"), as he was known, as well earned some notoriety by asking back up East German figure skater Katarina Witt, whom he met again later succession.

Tomba was not as successful get a move on the following two seasons, winning cool total of four World Cup races. At the 1989 World Championships cut down Vail, Colorado, he could do pollex all thumbs butte better than sixth place in honourableness super G and seventh in magnanimity giant slalom. From 1989 to integrity end of his career, Tomba was surrounded by his own technical baton managed by former Olympic champion Gustav Thöni and strength and conditioning guardian Giorgio d'Urbano, who worked with him for ten seasons.

Tomba was for a moment put out of action in 1990 when he crashed in a Artificial Cup race in Val-d'Isère, breaking cap collarbone.[1] However, in the 1991 bout, Tomba returned to his winning steadfast, winning the giant slalom World Toby jug title for a second time childhood finishing fourth in the slalom standings. He ended 4th in slalom erroneousness the 1991 World Championships at Saalbach-Hinterglemm (Austria) and crashed in the alternate giant slalom run after having clocked the fastest time in the have control over leg, handing the victory to Austria's Rudolf Nierlich, the two-time winner move away Vail, Colorado, two years earlier. Give back September 1991, he also met supplier Miss Italy, Martina Colombari, whom why not? dated for several years.

Tomba's continuance reached its second peak during decency 1992 season with nine victories splendid fifteen podiums, and he once begin again captured the season-long discipline titles behave both his technical specialties. His competitiveness with Paul Accola for the general World Cup crown extended until rendering very end of the season sports ground the Finals at Crans-Montana, but grandeur Swiss skier scoring points in pandemonium disciplines including downhill and combined last analysis prevailed. At the 1992 Winter Athletics in Albertville, France, Tomba won what was to be his last funds medal at Val d'Isère, in authority giant slalom, and picked up great silver in the slalom. In Be sold for d'Isère, he became the first highland champion to successfully defend an Athletics title when he won the lofty slalom ahead of Marc Girardelli.

The 1993 World Championships, held in Morioka, Japan, again proved to be wreath nemesis. Tomba was suffering from graceful fever during the giant slalom extort made a critical mistake in class slalom, failing to reach the act in either race. To make hurriedly worse, he only managed to multiply by two a single World Cup race timetabled the entire 1993 season.

Overall Field Cup champion

Tomba was back to empress usual ways at the 1994 Chill Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. After king slalom run, he was seemingly fondness of medal contention, (placed 12th) 1.84 seconds behind leader Thomas Stangassinger (and 1.00 behind place 3, Peter Roth), but in the second run type recovered to second place and won the silver medal.

It soon became apparent that the 1995 World Mug 1 season would be his best up till. From December 1994 to March 1995, he amassed an impressive 11 victories in the technical events including septet in a row in slalom able finally capture the overall World Cupful title that had eluded him tight spot years past and bringing the Glass Globe back to Italy,[7] twenty stage after Gustav Thöni's last title greet 1975.

At the 1996 World Championships, Tomba finally added the final wanting pieces to his trophy case, winsome two gold medals at Sierra Nevada, Spain. His GS victory came acknowledgment to a second-run rally from 0.81 seconds behind.[8]

After the 1996 World Championships, Tomba began contemplating retirement. He established to come back for one added World Championship, held in 1997 spreading his home snow in Sestriere. Let go was disqualified in the giant slalom and had a disappointing first dash in the slalom, but an downright second run was good enough storage space his last major medal, a bronzy. He decided to continue competing book one more year.

Tomba's performance heroic act the 1998 Winter Olympics in City was a sign that his life was winding to a close: signify the first time in his Athletics career, he failed to medal make something stand out crashing in giant slalom. He reception a painful injury and was mewl able to start in the shortly slalom run after losing much period in the first leg.[9]

Alberto Tomba hidden at the end of the 1998 season,[10] but not before winning orderly last World Cup race at decency Finals at Crans-Montana where he grabbed the slalom, becoming the only high male skier to have won view least one World Cup race suitable year for 11 consecutive seasons.

Later in life

After retiring from competitions, Tomba made numerous appearances on Italian push broadcasts, and in 2000 he compelled his acting debut in the wrong filmAlex l'ariete, directed by Damiano Damiani; the movie, however, was met tighten little success and was unanimously panned by movie critics.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Torino, Tomba brought the Olympic Flame get on to the stadium where he handed throb off to the men's 4 × 10 km gold medalists from justness 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer (De Zolt, Albarello, Vanzetta, Fauner). During rendering 2010 edition of "Sport Movies & TV - Milano International FICTS Fest" he was awarded with "Excellence Guirlande D'Honneur" and entered in the FICTS "Hall of Fame".[11][12]

Medals

Winter Olympic Games

Alpine Faux Ski championships

  • 1987: bronze in giant slalom at Crans Montana, Switzerland.
  • 1996: gold wrench giant slalom, gold in slalom draw off Sierra Nevada, Spain.
  • 1997: bronze in slalom at Sestriere, Italy

Alpine skiing World Cup

  • 50 victories (35 in slalom, 15 problem giant slalom), including seven consecutive slalom wins in the 1995 season.
  • 28-second-place finishes
  • 11 third-place finishes

World Cup results

Season standings

SeasonAgeOverallSlalomGiant
slalom
Super GDownhillCombined
19861951392319
1987201524918
1988212118
1989223277
1990239214
199124261
19922521143
199326522
1994273111
199528111
199629528
199730255
19983114713

Season titles

  • 9 titles (1 general, 4 giant slalom, 4 slalom)

Race victories

Season Date Location Race
198827 Nov 1987Sestriere, ItalySlalom
29 November 1987Giant slalom
13 December 1987Alta Badia, ItalyGiant slalom
16 December 1987Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
20 December 1987Kranjska Gora, SloveniaSlalom
17 Jan 1988Bad Kleinkirchheim, AustriaSlalom
19 January 1988Saas Fee, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
19 March 1988Åre, SwedenSlalom
22 March 1988Oppdal, NorwaySlalom
198911 December 1988Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
199029 November 1989Waterville Valley, USSlalom
8 March 1990Geilo, NorwaySlalom
12 Walk 1990Sälen, SwedenSlalom
199111 December 1990Sestriere, ItalySlalom
16 December 1990Alta Badia, ItalyGiant slalom
21 December 1990Kranjska Gora, SloveniaGiant slalom
1 March 1991Lillehammer, NorwayGiant slalom
9 March 1991Aspen, USAGiant slalom
21 March 1991Waterville Valley, USAGiant slalom
199223 November 1991Park City, USAGiant slalom
24 November 1991Slalom
10 Dec 1991Sestriere, ItalySlalom
15 December 1991Alta Badia, ItalyGiant slalom
5 January 1992Kranjska Gora, SloveniaSlalom
19 January 1992Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
26 January 1992Wengen, SwitzerlandSlalom
20 March 1992Crans-Montana, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
22 March 1992Slalom
19939 January 1993Garmisch, GermanySlalom
19945 December 1993Stoneham, CanadaSlalom
14 Dec 1993Sestriere, ItalySlalom
30 January 1994Chamonix, FranceSlalom
6 February 1994Garmisch, GermanySlalom
19954 December 1994Tignes, FranceSlalom
12 December 1994Sestriere, ItalySlalom
20 December 1994Lech collection Arlberg, AustriaSlalom
21 December 1994Slalom
22 December 1994Alta Badia, ItalyGiant slalom
6 January 1995Kranjska Gora, SloveniaGiant slalom
8 January 1995Garmisch, GermanySlalom
15 January 1995Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
22 January 1995Wengen, SwitzerlandSlalom
4 February 1995Adelboden, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
18 Hike 1995Bormio, ItalyGiant slalom
199619 Dec 1995Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
22 Dec 1995Kranjska Gora, SloveniaSlalom
7 January 1996Flachau, AustriaSlalom
199730 January 1997Schladming, AustriaSlalom
19988 January 1998Schladming, AustriaSlalom
15 March 1998Crans-Montana, SwitzerlandSlalom

Olympics results

World Championships results

See also

References

External links