Alberto Tomba, Italy's Olympic Playboy, Set for Spotlight at Opening Ceremony
Alberto Tomba, Italy's most famous Olympic playboy, is poised for a dramatic return to centre stage this Friday. Heavy rumours in Italian newspapers suggest the skiing legend will serve as the final torchbearer during the opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium. This marks a triumphant comeback for the athlete whose love life and exploits were once forensically dissected on those very same pages.
The Twinkle Remains at Sixty
Tomba, who celebrates his 60th birthday later this year, retains the unmistakable twinkle in his eye that hints he could still knock back Aperols as swiftly as he once tackled the slopes. Famously dubbing himself the 'messiah', Tomba was indeed a very naughty boy, whose Olympic debut in Calgary at age 21 is etched in sporting folklore.
That 1988 Games is remembered for his swaggering slalom gold medals, alongside the celebrated underdogs Eddie the Eagle and Jamaica's Cool Runnings bobsleigh team. La Bomba, whose mother forbade him from speed events fearing for his pretty face, celebrated victory by asking figure skater Katarina Witt on a date, partying until dawn with groupies known as the 'Tombamani', and purchasing a flashy red Ferrari.
A Life Lived at Full Tilt
If Olympic spirit could be found at the bottom of a bottle, Tomba was likely holding it, yet he still managed to win repeatedly. By the 1992 Games, he claimed to be taking things more seriously, quipping, "I used to have a wild night with three women until 5am, but I am getting older. In the Olympic Village here, I will live it up with five women, but only until 3am."
Dubbed the Pope of the Slopes for kneeling to kiss the snow in triumph, Tomba reflects, "People remember Calgary for Eddie, the Jamaican bobsledders and me. That's fine, but I've got my two golds too. Calgary was my carefree Games and that's where the magic happened. It was the beginning of everything."
Reflections and Regrets
Never married, perhaps because no woman could cook a spaghetti Bolognese like his mother, Tomba is now more reflective at nearly 60. He admits to rushing his retirement after a disappointing performance at the 1998 Nagano Games, retiring at 31. "I had more to achieve, maybe two more Olympics," he concedes. "I could have competed at a home Olympics in Turin in 2006, so that's perhaps a sad regret."
He expresses admiration for British slalom hopeful Dave Ryding, competing at his fifth Games aged 39, saying, "I'm jealous of these athletes, especially those getting their first taste of the Olympics; you wish you could turn back time."
The Eternal Showman
Tomba's coach, Roberto Siorpaes, once said the only thing he'd change about his protégé was his timekeeping. As organisers race to prepare venues, Tomba remains unapologetically Italian, stating, "As Italians, we always arrive at the last minute. It's typical. When the race starts, everything will be in order. You just must watch and enjoy."
Back in the Olympic circus, one of its greatest ringmasters clearly relishes the limelight, his legacy as a charismatic champion undimmed by time.
