Zeno Colò facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zeno Colò

Alpine skier
Disciplines	Downhill, giant slalom, slalom, combined
Born	(1920-06-30)30 June 1920 Abetone, Tuscany, Italy
Died	12 May 1993(1993-05-12) (aged 72) San Marcello Pistoiese, Tuscany, Italy
Retired	1954 (age 33)
Olympics
Teams	2 – (1948, 1952)
Medals	1 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	3 – (1948, 1950, 1952) includes two Olympics
Medals	4 (3 gold)
Medal record Men's alpine skiing Representing  Italy Olympic Games Gold 1952 Oslo Downhill World Championships Gold 1950 Aspen Downhill Gold 1950 Aspen Giant slalom Silver 1950 Aspen Slalom Gold 1952 Oslo Downhill

Zeno Colò (born June 30, 1920 – died May 12, 1993) was an amazing alpine ski racer from Italy. He was born in Cutigliano, a town in Tuscany. Zeno was one of the best ski racers in the world during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Zeno Colò's Ski Racing Career

Zeno Colò showed his incredible talent at the World Championships in Aspen in 1950. He won two gold medals there! He was the champion in both the downhill and giant slalom races. He also earned a silver medal in the slalom event.

Two years later, Zeno competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. He won another gold medal, this time in the downhill race. He also placed fourth in both the giant slalom and slalom events. Italy had to wait 20 years for another Olympic gold in alpine skiing after Zeno's win.

Early Wins and Speed Records

Before his big wins, Zeno Colò had already shown his skill. He won the famous Lauberhorn downhill race in Wengen in 1948. He also won the slalom title there in both 1949 and 1950. After his amazing performance at Aspen in 1950, he traveled to Canada. There, he won all three North American titles in downhill, slalom, and combined events at Mt Norquay near Banff, Alberta.

In 1947, Zeno even set a world speed record on skis. He was clocked at 98.7 miles per hour (158.8 km/h) on the Italian side of the Little Matterhorn. This record stood for an impressive 13 years!

Olympic Challenges

Zeno also competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He finished 14th in the slalom race. However, he did not finish the downhill race. This meant he couldn't compete in the combined event either.

Retirement and Legacy

After the 1952 Olympics, Zeno Colò started working with a ski clothing company. At that time, rules were very strict about athletes being "amateurs" (meaning they couldn't earn money from their sport). Because he was involved with a company, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) considered him a "professional."

In 1954, he was no longer allowed to compete in official races. This meant he couldn't go to the 1954 World Championships in Åre. Zeno retired from racing at age 33. This ban was finally lifted 35 years later in 1989.

After retiring, Zeno became a ski instructor in his hometown of Abetone. He helped develop the Pistoia ski resort and promoted the Abetone Ski Company. In 1973, he designed three ski slopes on Gomito mountain. These slopes are still named Zeno 1, 2, and 3 in his honor.

Zeno Colò passed away in 1993 from lung cancer at the age of 72. He died in San Marcello Pistoiese in Tuscany. In 1998, an asteroid was discovered and named 58709 Zenocolò to honor him.

World Championship Results

These tables show Zeno Colò's results at the World Championships. From 1948 to 1980, the Winter Olympics were also counted as the World Championships for alpine skiing.

Olympic Results

The Olympic rings, a symbol of the Olympic Games.

This table shows Zeno Colò's performance at the Winter Olympic Games.

See also

• Legends of Italian sport - Walk of Fame
• Italy at the Olympics - gold medalists
• List of Olympic medalists in alpine skiing
• List of Alpine Skiing world champions
• Italy national alpine ski at the World championships