What happened to Italian ski legend Alberto Tomba?

"Tomba la Bomba" was the nickname his fans affectionately gave to Alberto Tomba, perfectly capturing his explosive style and competitive spirit both on and off the slopes. Known for his fearless approach, Tomba dominated alpine skiing during his career, becoming a global icon, but then vanished out of the blue.

Alberto Tomba is considered one of the best Italian Alpine skiers in the world. His impressive numbers during his competitions display a series of successes that he obtained throughout his career.

Since retiring from the ski slopes, Alberto Tomba has maintained a low profile, in contrast to the exuberant lifestyle of his golden years. Let's find out what the champion is doing today by retracing the most significant stages of his career in the world of skiing.

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The feats and victories he managed to accumulate during his career certainly make one imagine Alberto Tomba was born and raised in the Italian Alps, to become a natural champion. However, the former skiing champion is originally from Castel de' Britti, a hilly hamlet of San Lazzaro di Savena near Bologna, well away from the mountains.

Tomba learned to ski in the Apennines and later continued his training in Cortina d'Ampezzo, under the mentorship of Roberto Siorpaes, the coach who followed him until he came of age.

His career on the track began very early. In fact, he was only 17 when he took part in his first competitive race, in Sweden with the C2 team, during the 1983 European Cup.

After the 1983 European Cup, Alberto Tomba's career skyrocketed with a series of jaw-dropping successes, that transformed him into one of the most renowned skiers in the world. He is still revered as a skiing icon to this day.

In total, Tomba won 50 World Cup races, becoming the world's fourth-best skier in competitive rankings. Tomba's record was just behind other skiing icons such as Ingermar Sternmark, Marcel Hirscher, and Hermann Maier.

Alberto Tomba won his long-awaited World Cup in 1995, claiming 11 races under his belt. A spectacular season, making his only World Cup title a memorable achievement in his sporting career.

Tomba's 1995 World Cup title was a climactic point in his sporting career however, his other victories throughout 1988-1996 don't fall short of praise. Tomba's impressive skiing talents got him first place in France's 1992 and Spain's 1996 international skiing competitions.

Tomba's first gold medal obtained as a young athlete was in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, where he gained first place in the slalom and giant slalom categories. His victories are still remembered vividly by his fans today.

During the Sanremo Festival in Liguria (ITA), the event was interrupted for 10 minutes to broadcast the second round of slalom that earned him the gold medal in 1988. The Italian fans were in absolute delirium at the Ariston.

Alberto Tomba officially retired from skiing on March 15, 1998, three years after winning the World Cup, at just 31 years old.

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A few years later, on the Italian TV show 'Che tempo che fa', the former skiing champion would state: "I stopped skiing very early, at 30-31 years old, but I could have gotten by at least another 6 or 7 good years. The problem is that I wasn't thinking about it, I was too stressed to continue at those levels, at that rhythm. It went well like this."

However, Tomba was not just great with skis, he was a very charismatic public figure who became widely known.

A true showman, sticking his tongue out to the cameras, saluting the fans before crossing a finish line, and all the flirtatious activity he was linked to in gossip weeklies.

Alberto Tomba had become a real public figure, whom all the photographers seeked as if he were a star celebrity and not just an athlete.

His most prominent sentimental relationship was certainly the one with the former Miss Italy, Martina Colombari. The two met in 1991, when Tomba was having his best run.

It was during a famous beauty contest, later won by Colombari, that the two got to know each other. Tomba, in fact, was part of the jury and was struck by her beauty.

Photo: Youtube

As reported by Corriere della Sera, the two are still on good terms even though they don't see each other anymore. Here are the words of the former Miss Italy, now Costacurta's wife: "I've proposed to him we have a dinner together with Billy and his partner, but he has always says no."

Martina Colombari witnessed of one of the most embarrassing episodes of his life, when he used a blue flashing light – one similiar to thse utilised by the police – to overtake cars on the road.

The car stunt cost Tomba a fine amounting to eight million Italian lire. That happened on December 26, 1993, when the young couple was traveling to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Perhaps not everyone will remember that Tomba, after announcing his retirement from competitive skiing, made an attempt to enter the world of cinema. He starred in the film, 'Alex, The Ram' (2000) together with young Michelle Hunziker. The film was considered a flop at the time but made a comeback as a cult movie.

After the interlude as an actor, Alberto Tomba then chose to move away from the spotlight and live a quiet life as a former ski champion.

Alberto Tomba is a founding member of Laureus, an association that promotes sports against social injustices. In 2006, Tomba was an honorary guest during the Winter Olympic Games in Turin.

Tomba later became a commentator for Sky Sport, he was also present during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. His last public appearance was at the Sanremo Festival in 2021, where he appeared alongside Federica Pellegrini.

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Alberto Tomba is now 56, and away from the center spotlight. Nevertheless, he will always remain a major sporting icon who paved the way for Italy's golden age of ski.