Alberto Tomba facts for kids
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Tomba in 2006 (age 40)
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| Disciplines | Slalom, giant slalom, super-G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Club | C.S. Carabinieri | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 December 1966 San Lazzaro di Savena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
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| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | 16 December 1985 (age 18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | March 1998 (age 31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | albertotomba.it | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 4 (1988–98) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 5 (3 gold) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 6 (1987–97) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 4 (2 gold) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 13 (1985–98) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 50 (15 GS, 35 SL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 88 (31 GS, 57 SL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 1 (1995) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 8 (4 GS, 4 SL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Alberto Tomba (born 19 December 1966) is a famous former alpine ski racer from Italy. He was one of the best technical skiers in the world during the late 1980s and 1990s. He specialized in slalom and giant slalom races.
Tomba was known for his strong build, which helped him ski faster. He used his power to take advantage of new ski gates. These gates were spring-loaded, not solid, allowing skiers to take a more direct path. People often called him Tomba la Bomba, which means "Tomba the Bomb."
Alberto Tomba won many big awards. He earned three Olympic gold medals. He also won two World Championships. Plus, he claimed nine World Cup season titles. These included four in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title.
Contents
Early Life and Skiing Start
Alberto Tomba was born in Bologna, Italy. He grew up in a village called Castel de Britti. This area wasn't famous for skiing, but it was close to mountains like Monte Cimone.
His father, Franco, loved skiing and shared this passion with his sons. He would drive Alberto and his older brother, Marco, to ski areas. Alberto started skiing when he was just three years old. He began racing at age seven.
As a child, Alberto tried many sports. He played tennis and football, and even rode dirt bikes. But skiing was always his biggest love. In 1988, his father promised him a Ferrari car if he won a gold medal. After winning his first gold, Alberto famously told his father on TV that he wanted a red Ferrari.
In 1984, Alberto competed in the World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships. He finished fourth, which earned him a spot on the national B team. Later that year, he surprised everyone by beating top skiers in a special race in Milan.
He then won three races in the Alpine Skiing Europa Cup. This helped him join the World Cup circuit. His first World Cup race was in December 1985, just before his 19th birthday. Two months later, he finished an amazing sixth place from a very high starting number.
His first time on the podium (top three) was in December 1986. Later that winter, he won a bronze medal in giant slalom. This was at the 1987 World Championships in Switzerland. It was the only medal for Italy at that event.
Becoming a Skiing Star
On 27 November 1987, Tomba won his first World Cup race. It was a slalom event in Italy. Two days later, he won the giant slalom, beating his hero, Ingemar Stenmark. Everyone knew then that Tomba was a major talent.
He won nine races during the 1988 season. In one slalom race, he won by a huge margin. He even shouted, "I am the new messiah of skiing!" as he crossed the finish line. That year, he won the World Cup titles in both slalom and giant slalom. He finished second overall in the World Cup standings.
At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Tomba won two gold medals. He took gold in both slalom and giant slalom. In the giant slalom, he was far ahead after the first run. This is when he truly became known as "Tomba the Bomb."
The next two seasons were not as successful for Tomba. He won only four World Cup races in total. At the 1989 World Championships, he didn't win any medals. From 1989 onwards, he had his own special team to help him train. This team included former Olympic champion Gustav Thöni.
In 1990, Tomba had an accident during a World Cup race. He broke his collarbone, which stopped him from competing for a while. But he came back strong in the 1991 season. He won the giant slalom World Cup title for the second time. He also finished fourth in the slalom standings. At the 1991 World Championships, he was fourth in slalom. He crashed in the giant slalom after a great first run.
Tomba had another amazing season in 1992. He won nine races and was on the podium fifteen times. He won the season titles in both slalom and giant slalom again. At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, he won his last Olympic gold medal in giant slalom. He also earned a silver medal in slalom. He was the first alpine skier to win the same Olympic title twice in a row.
The 1993 World Championships in Japan were tough for him. He was sick during the giant slalom. He made a big mistake in the slalom and didn't win a medal in either race. He also only won one World Cup race in the entire 1993 season.
Winning the Overall World Cup
Tomba was back in top form at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. After his first slalom run, he was in 12th place. It seemed like he wouldn't win a medal. But in the second run, he skied incredibly well. He moved up to second place and won a silver medal!
The 1995 World Cup season was his best ever. From December 1994 to March 1995, he won an amazing 11 races. This included seven slalom wins in a row. He finally won the overall World Cup title, which he had wanted for years. He brought the "Crystal Globe" trophy back to Italy. This was the first time since Gustav Thöni won it in 1975.
At the 1996 World Championships, Tomba completed his collection of trophies. He won two gold medals in Spain. His giant slalom victory was especially exciting. He came from behind in the second run to win.
After the 1996 World Championships, Tomba thought about retiring. But he decided to compete in one more World Championship. This was in 1997 in his home country, Italy. He was disqualified in the giant slalom. In the slalom, he had a tough first run. But his excellent second run earned him a bronze medal, his last major award. He decided to ski for one more year.
Tomba's performance at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano showed his career was ending. For the first time at the Olympics, he didn't win a medal. He crashed in the giant slalom. He also got hurt and couldn't finish the slalom race.
Alberto Tomba retired at the end of the 1998 season. But not before winning one last World Cup race. He won the slalom at the finals in Switzerland. This made him the only male alpine skier to win at least one World Cup race every year for 11 years in a row.
Life After Skiing
After he stopped competing, Tomba appeared on Italian TV shows many times. In 2000, he tried acting in a crime movie.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Turin, Tomba had a special role. He carried the Olympic Flame into the stadium. He then passed it to the Italian cross-country skiing gold medalists from the 1994 Winter Olympics. In 2010, he received a special award called "Excellence Guirlande D'Honneur." He was also added to the FICTS "Hall of Fame."
Medals
Winter Olympic Games
- 1988: gold in giant slalom, gold in slalom at Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Nakiska).
- 1992: gold in giant slalom, silver in slalom at Albertville, France (Val d'Isère).
- 1994: silver in slalom at Lillehammer, Norway (Hafjell).
Alpine World Ski championships
- 1987: bronze in giant slalom at Crans Montana, Switzerland.
- 1996: gold in giant slalom, gold in slalom at Sierra Nevada, Spain.
- 1997: bronze in slalom at Sestriere, Italy
Alpine skiing World Cup
- 50 victories (35 in slalom, 15 in giant slalom), including seven consecutive slalom wins in the 1995 season.
- 28-second-place finishes
- 11 third-place finishes
World Cup Results
Season Standings
| Season | Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 19 | 51 | 39 | 23 | 19 | — | — |
| 1987 | 20 | 15 | 24 | 9 | 18 | — | — |
| 1988 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | — | — |
| 1989 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | — | — |
| 1990 | 23 | 9 | 2 | 14 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 43 | — | — |
| 1993 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 11 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 30 | 25 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 31 | 14 | 7 | 13 | — | — | — |
Season Titles
- 9 titles (1 overall, 4 giant slalom, 4 slalom)
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Giant slalom |
| Slalom | |
| 1991 | Giant slalom |
| 1992 | Giant slalom |
| Slalom | |
| 1994 | Slalom |
| 1995 | Overall |
| Giant slalom | |
| Slalom |
Race Victories
| Season | Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 27 November 1987 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom |
| 29 November 1987 | Giant slalom | ||
| 13 December 1987 | Alta Badia, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| 16 December 1987 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | |
| 20 December 1987 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| 17 January 1988 | Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria | Slalom | |
| 19 January 1988 | Saas Fee, Switzerland | Giant slalom | |
| 19 March 1988 | Åre, Sweden | Slalom | |
| 22 March 1988 | Oppdal, Norway | Slalom | |
| 1989 | 11 December 1988 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom |
| 1990 | 29 November 1989 | Waterville Valley, US | Slalom |
| 8 March 1990 | Geilo, Norway | Slalom | |
| 12 March 1990 | Sälen, Sweden | Slalom | |
| 1991 | 11 December 1990 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom |
| 16 December 1990 | Alta Badia, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| 21 December 1990 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Giant slalom | |
| 1 March 1991 | Lillehammer, Norway | Giant slalom | |
| 9 March 1991 | Aspen, USA | Giant slalom | |
| 21 March 1991 | Waterville Valley, USA | Giant slalom | |
| 1992 | 23 November 1991 | Park City, USA | Giant slalom |
| 24 November 1991 | Slalom | ||
| 10 December 1991 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom | |
| 15 December 1991 | Alta Badia, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| 5 January 1992 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| 19 January 1992 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | |
| 26 January 1992 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| 20 March 1992 | Crans-Montana, Switzerland | Giant slalom | |
| 22 March 1992 | Slalom | ||
| 1993 | 9 January 1993 | Garmisch, Germany | Slalom |
| 1994 | 5 December 1993 | Stoneham, Canada | Slalom |
| 14 December 1993 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom | |
| 30 January 1994 | Chamonix, France | Slalom | |
| 6 February 1994 | Garmisch, Germany | Slalom | |
| 1995 | 4 December 1994 | Tignes, France | Slalom |
| 12 December 1994 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom | |
| 20 December 1994 | Lech am Arlberg, Austria | Slalom | |
| 21 December 1994 | Slalom | ||
| 22 December 1994 | Alta Badia, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| 6 January 1995 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Giant slalom | |
| 8 January 1995 | Garmisch, Germany | Slalom | |
| 15 January 1995 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | |
| 22 January 1995 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| 4 February 1995 | Adelboden, Switzerland | Giant slalom | |
| 18 March 1995 | Bormio, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| 1996 | 19 December 1995 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom |
| 22 December 1995 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| 7 January 1996 | Flachau, Austria | Slalom | |
| 1997 | 30 January 1997 | Schladming, Austria | Slalom |
| 1998 | 8 January 1998 | Schladming, Austria | Slalom |
| 15 March 1998 | Crans-Montana, Switzerland | Slalom |
Olympics Results
| Edition | Giant slalom | Slalom | Super-G |
|---|---|---|---|
 Calgary 1988 |
1 | 1 | DNF |
 Albertville 1992 |
1 | 2 | - |
 Lillehammer 1994 |
DQ | 2 | - |
 Nagano 1998 |
DNF | DNF | - |
World Championships Results
| Edition | Giant slalom | Slalom | Super-G |
|---|---|---|---|
 Crans Montana 1987 |
3 | - | 14 |
 Vail 1989 |
7 | DNF | 6 |
 Saalbach 1991 |
DNF | 4 | - |
| Morioka 1993 |
DNF | - | |
 Sierra Nevada 1996 |
1 | 1 | - |
 Sestriere 1997 |
DNF | 3 | - |
See Also
In Spanish: Alberto Tomba para niños
- Ski World Cup Most podiums & Top 10 results
- Italy at the Olympics – Men gold medalist
- Italian skiers most successful race winner
