Alberto Tomba facts for kids
| Alpine skier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 December 19, 1966) is a famous former alpine ski racer from Italy. He was one of the best skiers in the world during the late 1980s and 1990s. He was especially good at technical races like slalom and giant slalom.
Alberto was known for his strong build, which was different from other skiers who focused more on being light and agile. He used his strength to ski faster and take more direct paths through the courses. This was helpful because new spring-loaded ski gates were introduced, replacing older, solid ones. People often called him Tomba la Bomba, which means "Tomba the Bomb."
He won many big awards, including three gold medals at the Olympic Games. He also won two World Championships and nine World Cup season titles. These included four titles in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title for being the best skier across all events.
Contents
Early Life and Skiing Beginnings
Alberto Tomba was born in Bologna, Italy. He grew up in a small village called Castel de Britti. This area wasn't famous for skiing, but it was close to the Apennine ski slopes like Monte Cimone.
His father, Franco, loved skiing and shared this passion with Alberto and his older brother, Marco. They would drive from their home to Sestola to ski. Alberto started skiing at age three and began racing when he was seven. He also enjoyed other sports like tennis and football, but skiing was his favorite.
A fun fact: In 1988, his father promised him a Ferrari car if he won a gold medal at the Olympics. When Alberto won his first gold, he told his father on TV that he wanted a red one!
In 1984, Alberto competed in the World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships. He finished fourth, which earned him a spot on Italy's national B team. Later that year, he surprised everyone by beating the A team members in a special race in Milan.
He then won three races in the Alpine Skiing Europa Cup. This led to his first World Cup race in December 1985, just before his 19th birthday. Two months later, he finished an amazing sixth place in a World Cup race in Sweden, even though he had a high starting number. His first medal came in December 1986, and he won a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 1987 World Championships. This was the only medal for Italy at that event.
Rising to Stardom
On November 27, 1987, Alberto Tomba won his first World Cup race in Italy. Two days later, he won the giant slalom, beating his hero, Ingemar Stenmark. Everyone knew then that Tomba was a serious competitor.
He won nine races in the 1988 season. In one slalom race, he won by a huge margin and famously shouted, "I am the new messiah of skiing!" He won the World Cup titles for both slalom and giant slalom that year. He finished second overall in the World Cup standings. Early in his career, he also tried super-G races, but he never finished higher than fourth.
At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, Tomba won gold medals in both slalom and giant slalom. He was so fast in the first part of the giant slalom that he was more than a second ahead of the next skier!
Alberto had a bit less success in the next two seasons, winning four World Cup races in total. At the 1989 World Championships in the USA, he didn't win any medals. From 1989 onwards, he had his own special team, including his coach Gustav Thöni, who helped him for ten seasons.
In 1990, Alberto broke his collarbone in a crash during a World Cup race. But he came back strong in the 1991 season. He won the giant slalom World Cup title again. At the 1991 World Championships in Austria, he finished fourth in slalom. He crashed in the giant slalom after having the fastest time in the first run.
Tomba's career reached another high point in the 1992 season. He won nine races and stood on the podium fifteen times. He won the season titles in both slalom and giant slalom again. He competed closely with Paul Accola for the overall World Cup title, but Accola won because he scored points in more types of races.
At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, Tomba 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 an Olympic title in the same event twice in a row.
The 1993 World Championships in Japan were tough for him. He had a fever during the giant slalom and made a big mistake in the slalom. He didn't win any medals that year. He also only won one World Cup race in the entire 1993 season.
Becoming Overall World Cup Champion
Alberto Tomba was back in top form at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. After his first slalom run, he was in 12th place and seemed out of medal contention. But he had an amazing second run and climbed all the way to second place, winning a silver medal!
The 1995 World Cup season was his best ever. From December 1994 to March 1995, he won an incredible 11 races in slalom and giant slalom. This included seven slalom wins in a row! He finally won the overall World Cup title, which he had been chasing for years. He brought the Crystal Globe trophy back to Italy, twenty years after Gustav Thöni last won it.
At the 1996 World Championships in Spain, Tomba finally completed his collection of trophies. He won two gold medals in slalom and giant slalom. His giant slalom victory was especially exciting because he came from behind in the second run.
After the 1996 World Championships, Tomba thought about retiring. But he decided to compete in one more World Championship in 1997, which was held in his home country, Italy. He was disqualified in the giant slalom. In the slalom, he had a disappointing first run, but a fantastic second run earned him a bronze medal, his last major award. He decided to keep racing for one more year.
Alberto Tomba retired at the end of the 1998 season. But not before winning one last World Cup race 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 retiring from racing, Alberto Tomba appeared on Italian TV many times. In 2000, he tried acting in a movie called Alex l'ariete. However, the movie was not very successful.
At the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Tomba had the honor of carrying the Olympic Flame into the stadium. He then passed it to the Italian cross-country ski team who won gold medals in 1994. In 2010, he received a special award called "Excellence Guirlande D'Honneur" and was added to the FICTS "Hall of Fame" for sports films.
Major Medals
Winter Olympic Games
- 1988 Calgary: Gold in giant slalom, Gold in slalom.
- 1992 Albertville: Gold in giant slalom, Silver in slalom.
- 1994 Lillehammer: Silver in slalom.
Alpine World Ski Championships
- 1987 Crans Montana: Bronze in giant slalom.
- 1996 Sierra Nevada: Gold in giant slalom, Gold in slalom.
- 1997 Sestriere: Bronze in slalom.
Alpine Skiing World Cup
- 50 victories (35 in slalom, 15 in giant slalom). This includes seven slalom wins in a row 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
Honours
Awards and Medals
CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit - 1995
ARMY: Army Gold Cross of Merit - 1991
