“I intimidated my opponents. Being a sex symbol helped, I miss the nineties»- Corriere.it

Alberto Tomba, 14 March marks the 25th anniversary of his retirement and Rai will dedicate a documentary to the champion but also to a character who in 2016 was the first “living matter” of Rischiatutto: it was her, in Fabio Fazio’s remake of the show by Mike Bongiorno, asking questions about his career.

«Has it already been 7 years and over 40 since Mike Bongiorno’s Rischiatutto? Wow… It’s true, there have been no others in that situation: it’s a good memory, even in the name of Mike who loved skiing ».

Has the surname «cemeterial» ever given you problems?
“Someone at school does. They make little jokes: in my case, dead silence, tombstone, coffin, tomb… I could have seen it as a form of bullying, but I didn’t give it any weight.

Why do you often use puns?
«By instinct: at school I did well in geography and rhymes. But my specialty is also numbers. I greeted victories with numbers and calembour. Calgary is in Alberta, then came Albertville; one place plus another make the two golds in Canada… Then the nursery rhymes started: there is no two without three, the fourth comes by itself, the fifth is already won, the sixth is a party ».

It had a magnetic charm: why?
«It can be explained like this: extroverted, Bolognese, with a different face from the mountaineers who have the slopes at home. And then: love and hate, two opposites that have marked my career».

Do you remember your first time on skis?
“No. I must have been 7, or maybe 5, but I don’t remember anything. However, I did not imagine reaching certain levels, everything went beyond dreams: I thought of reaching the Games, but not of winning them and even less of conquering three golds ».

Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed Stenmark’s record of 86 victories. But Ingemar, in paying homage to her, specified that no one will scratch what he has done.
«Mikaela will reach 100 and beyond, but Ingo is right: the greatest of all time does not exist; there are so many greats in different eras».

When they remind you that the Sanremo Festival has stopped for your second gold in Calgary, are you proud or smile?
«Today’s Festival should be stopped. Instead they stopped that of the good years ».

Is the story true that in the hut at the start he tapped Girardelli on the shoulder and said to him «if you don’t go fast, I’ll come and overtake you»?
“No, that’s how it went. It was at the Albertville Games, I was first and he was second. I told him, “Marc, there’s a girl here; she gets emotional and you are no longer good ”. And he: “The same applies to you”. A sketch before the race».

How many has he put into psychological awe?
“Many. Once at the first door I hear “stop, stop, stop” and I stop. Stangassinger was leading, but in the end I won, in the rain. In Lech I made a mistake, lost 2 seconds but recovered and beat them all. Did they suffer me? Maybe yes”.

Alberto was «Tomba la Bomba».
«That’s what Patrick Lang, son of the inventor of the World Cup, called me. Maybe in his time it could have been there, today with real bombs filling the chronicles of war it’s better to leave it alone. Moreover, there is always the rest of the collection of nicknames: Albertone, Albert-One, la Albertite».

She said that those of the International Federation opposed her: did Tomba get in the way?
«Perhaps they preferred Girardelli and Zurbriggen to win rather than a citizen of Bologna. I brought the audience and everything changed. They complimented me, but when I stopped many were happy».

You and Bode Miller were, and still are, as popular as ever. How come?
“Because we were different. Bode more than me: you saw him around dancing and drinking beer. After all, someone who has attached the gold medal to the toilet flush is at least original».

Do you believe that success is linked to the “Italian macho” image?
«Yes: being a sex symbol helps, but then you also have to be a winner».

How many girlfriends has he had?
«On an emotional level, few, but I have known many. Yes, of course, they approached first of all because I was famous: it’s not easy to keep accounts… Anyway, other times, but courtship was more beautiful once».

Was it not possible to make peace with Martina Colombari?
«We didn’t fight… We were both young: it was a story and it was over. Happens”.

An important story.
«Yes: first Cristina, then Martina, Janina who was Miss Finland… All ending in “ina”. Well, I’ve hidden a lot of them: once there was no privacy to protect, like today”.

Will Tomba stay single or not?
«I’m staying… simple» (
laugh
).

Will a “manhole cover” or a “manhole cover” arrive one day?
«Look, I’ve just taken a manhole cover with the wheel rim of the car… Alright, I understand what you mean: I’ll think about it».

What is the last time he fell in love?
“After 50 it’s tough: we’re talking about years ago.”

Some hypercritics argue that you are too attached to your mother.
«It is obvious that it is so and in any case it is not too much. Already at 15 I was traveling around the world, she was worried: I called her from phone booths or hotel rooms. And when I left she gave me the pasta, the oil, the Parmesan: she cared about it, instead my father was grumpy and “wild” ».

The famous kiss to his sister after the last victory, in Crans Montana: many were struck by the intensity of that gesture.
«I was very attached to Alessia. Today that she has a son, we see each other a little less, but I’m an uncle and I’ll brush up on the good memories ».

Another legend has it that she almost missed a race because he had spent a long time with a girl.
“It’s bullshit. It was in Chamonix, I didn’t want to compete because I had hurt myself playing squash the day before. I was with Martina and I told her: “Tomorrow I won’t run”. Then I thought about it. Anyway, I only slept half an hour longer.’

Is there an aspect of the character that has not yet emerged?
“Shyness. But when I achieved success, I had to say two things: I couldn’t keep quiet like the mountaineers. So I fired the joke or the bullshit ».

The story of the cup thrown from the podium to the photographer Martinuzzi who had sold images of the naked Tomb in the sauna: would you do it again?
“I hit him on the finger. I wouldn’t do it again in public, maybe I’d wait for Carnival, put on a mask and go to his house. I’m sorry I did this, but I didn’t expect such a cowardice and it caused me problems. Then he always showed up: four times I was good, on the fifth provocation the chain fell off me ».

He also beat the paparazzi.
“They were nagging. And I wasn’t the only one who had hard disagreements: ask the people of the show business».

The story of tax fraud: did they “spectacularize” it because a popular figure was involved?
«If you are on the top step, the wind is stronger. And you are always doomed. But in 2002 they acquitted me. I didn’t manage, I only thought about skiing».

Why didn’t you call a press conference to announce the withdrawal?
“It would have been a sad event. A salute to Totti, with lumps and tears? Absolutely not. I cried for my cabbages, that’s my reserved character ».

How many times have you thought about coming back?
«The desire was strong on the occasion of the Turin Games: but I was already forty. In short, two more seasons, after I had finished at 31, I could have done them ».

Don’t you regret not becoming a technician?
“No. Did Stenmark or other champions train? Heel raises, trips, concussions: I had already given».

How do you see today’s ski greats?
«Marco Odermatt is a beast: he reminds me of Hermann Maier. He is the new Terminator: elegant, aggressive skiing. A Swiss like this has been missing since the days of Zurbriggen».

On the Italian front we have to say “the big ones”: Bassino, Brignone, Curtoni, Goggia, in alphabetical order.
«I say well done to all: I want to see them up to the 2026 Games. Each has different characteristics from the others».

Are you afraid that Alberto Tomba will be forgotten over time?
«Some people tell me: we will always remember you. For now it’s true and I’m moved by the affection they show me: now I understand what I’ve done».

Did Tomba love the limelight or was it the limelight that went to Tomba?
“Both things. The 20,000 fans in the stands didn’t give me pressure, if anything, they charged me».

Did he have more friends or enemies?
“I say 70% friends and 30% enemies.”

She won by laughing. Today it happens less.
«We also live in more difficult times, the new millennium is a disaster. I miss the 80s and 90s.”

You are dedicating yourself to ski mountaineering: why?
«Because it takes two hours to go up and two minutes to go down. Fascinating”.

Gioele Dix imitated her: did it annoy you?
«Gioele was at my house. I accepted the teasing, but I didn’t like the “beautiful chick”, because if anything I said “beautiful girl”. Do you know that when I met the kids, the “beautiful chick” really started? Malpractice”.