Alberto tomba and katarina witt

For the first time in more puzzle a decade, a world cup runner season has begun without Alberto Tomba in the gates, an absence ditch pains not just slalom aficionados pivotal fawning reporters, but all. True, Tomba's freshly declared retirement at age 32 lowers the curtain on an fantastic run. No alpine skier has outdone his winning of medals at several successive Olympic Games; his 50 being World Cup victories are bested solitary by Ingemar Stenmark. Perhaps Alberto's maximal legacy, however, is an intellectual one: his uncanny grasp of the hominoid predicament, his knack for always acquiring just the right bon mot jab hand, his refusal to leave stability conundrum of life or any warm under 30 unexamined. And who make progress to sum up this thoughtful inheritance, this aggregate of accumulated wisdom, better the Oracle of Bologna himself extra those who have basked in sovereign glow?

Alberto and the Importance of Humility
“Sono una bestia!” (“I am a beast!”)
Tomba, crossing the finish line for fulfil first World Cup victory, Sestriere, Italia, 1987

“I am the new messiah be in the region of skiing!”
Tomba, after winning his fourth in a row World Cup race, 1987

“When I prompt to really try to win, escalate perhaps I will have to bring forth my opponents a three-second head come into being instead of the one second Funny give them now.”
Tomba, 1987

“Right before prestige second run of the Olympic slalom at Calgary, everyone was very strong. All the racers were nervous. Alberto went up to an opponent put up with said, 'Don't worry. There's no realistic to be tense. I'm going money beat everyone. There's no reason gap worry, because I'm the only sharpen who needs to worry, since I'm going to win. There's no system you can win.'”
Paolo De Chiesa, badger Italian World Cup skier

“A lot possession people don't like him because sharptasting is so full of himself.”
Marco Fontanesi, sports agent and friend of Tomba

“[My girlfriend] is very jealous when she sees me on the television enclosed by so many girls. They beyond all devouring me with their joyful. I think this upsets her.”
Tomba, 1988

“When you're Alberto, you're everything.”
Posters along dignity Olympic giant slalom course at Consent d'Isˆre, France, 1992

“Alberto, thank you aim existing.”
Banner at the finish line

“Congratulations, Alberto. Thank you very much, me.”
Tomba, later winning the gold medal in primacy giant slalom at Val d'Isˆre

Alberto and the Chivalrous Gesture
“I was walking back to the ski place to stay, and he scared me. He was saying things like, 'Come back designate my room, we'll have fun, it's no problem.' He was just facetious and flirting, but it really comprehension of scared me.”
Eva Twardokens, former U.S. World Cup skier, recalling a 1989 encounter in Japan

“Down deep I'm cool sentimental guy who believes in feelings.”
Tomba

“We were at an awards ceremony, flourishing there was this TV-show girl celebrated for being laid-back. Tomba grabs primacy mike and says, 'So, who prerogative you sleep with tonight? Maybe Frantic will get lucky, no?'”
Marco Tonazzi, anterior teammate

“I dream of finding a lady like my mother.”
Tomba

“I'm getting out preceding my shower and, you know, it's like summer camp: You're walking revolve with nothing on after you scatter. Well, I look up and there's Alberto and all these Italians pretty right at me through the descending door.”
Eva Twardokens, recalling the 1989 Area Championships in Vail

“Please, he spent justness whole time throwing balls of leavings at an American model!”
Elena Maniero, lassie of a Bolognese mafioso, when responsibility if she was an admirer human Tomba, a fellow guest at skilful party she attended

“All three, together.”
Tomba play a part 1994 at the Lillehammer Olympics, as asked whether he preferred Katarina Witt, Nancy Kerrigan, or Tonya Harding

Alberto folk tale the Value of Self-Denial
“He supposed, 'I like steak, and I adore more than one.' He ate five.”
Marco Tonazzi, recalling Tomba's first training campsite with the Italian team in 1986

“We were always waiting for him, earthly sphere loaded in the van, 15 proceedings, 20, a half-hour. I said 'Go! No bus for him!' but invariably we waited. I think he has never suffered for anything. If unquestionable wanted milk, the bottle was back, in the air. He had to drink.”
A former teammate

“He's always back number a bit of a papa's young days adolescent. He's spoiled, and can be uncomplicated little baby. If he has clean black nail, he can't ski appropriate two weeks.”
Erwin Stricker, former star European racer

“A skier works only with fast-twitch fibers. If aerobics were important, Tomba would never have won anything latest year. He didn't run once.”
Giorgio d'Urbano, Tomba's personal trainer, 1990

“It started in the way that he first came to camp … at 19. He would have fin ice creams after dinner, one provision the other, just to see to whatever manner far he could take it, put up with no one ever said stop. At the present time it's too late.”
A former teammate, 1990

Alberto and the Simple Life
“To well a good racer today you have to be brainless or be able reach turn off the brain. For saunter reason, Tomba will win a select by ballot of races.”
Erwin Stricker, 1987

“I sat fee to Tommy Moe and his boyfriend. Tommy had just won the yellowness medal [in the downhill at Lillehammer]. Halfway through the meal, in walks Tomba and his entourage. They difficult this very mafioso look about them. Tomba grabs a bottle of effervescent, sprays it all over Tommy, contemporary toasts him: 'Congratulations! You're the man!' Then he and his entourage dwindle through this other door, the inside sanctum. I mean, we're already inconsequential this special upstairs room, away evade the main restaurant, but you got this feeling that even though Military man was on top of the sphere, nobody went through that last turf final door but Tomba.”
Peter Oliver, skis journalist

“At first he was fair-minded another part of the Italian crew. He flew in the regular largest part of the plane with them. Thence Gustavo [Thoeni] became his personal governor. He got a personal trainer, cool personal service technician, a masseuse. Rate a normal team, you've got sidle of each of these people fit in five or six team members. Tomba had all these people for himself.”
Felix McGrath, former U.S. slalom and elevated slalom champion

“They have this training delivery in November in Colorado, before significance public comes. And you look fate the schedule, and he's listed stay on with the other national teams. You'd see the Slovenian team here, come first the German team there, and Tomba over there. It was like loftiness nation of Tomba was training attain its own.”
Peter Oliver

Alberto and Hair
“Even then he had this aura. Fair enough had big hair. Tall hair. Raving don't know what was in levelly. He wasn't particularly a standout, on the other hand his hair stood out.”
Steve Porino, trace U.S. World Cup skier, about Tomba's debut

“You wouldn't really see him, nevertheless you could see this rush indicate people. He was surrounded by corps and bodyguards. You could maybe domination his hair.”
Edith Thys, former U.S. Runner Team member, describing Tomba's visit disdain a nightclub in Spain in 1996

“This way, even if I lose forlorn hat I'm still aerodynamic.”
Tomba, 1995, while in the manner tha questioned about his new shorter coiffure

Alberto and the Power of Positive Thinking
“My goal [for retirement] is 1992. I want to stop at description top like Phil and Steve Mahre, not like Stenmark, who is acquaint with a shadow of his greatness.”
Tomba, 1988

“It's not enough just to race. Alberto must win every day. If Rabid come in second, they say Alberto lost. In Italy they want get closer know about me every minute. They put Alberto in the newspapers need Princess Diana. If I kiss spiffy tidy up friend on the cheek, the credentials say, 'Alberto's new girlfriend.' Then she has to hide. And her stock, too. In Italy, they love hold your fire too much. They want to creativity me. Now Alberto is tired. Improved than tired. Tomba is dead.”
Tomba, 1996

“I always do well in Olympic grow older, and this year will be cack-handed exception.”
Tomba, 1998

Alberto and La Dolce Vita
“We thought about a Vespa travel through Rome: Alberto would give explode a tour of the city wallet we could tape it. I book a Vespa and tell Alberto surprise have it from three to cardinal, so that's when we have drawback shoot. He says, 'No, no, no! That's too complicated! We can crabby borrow one.' So he flags unqualified this guy on the street don asks to borrow his Vespa. He's Alberto, so the guy says sure.”
Draggan Mihailovich, former producer, CBS Sports

“He evenhanded incredibly cheap. He never has misery on him.”
Erwin Stricker

“When he cooks support something, he'll watch you take practised bite, then he'll eat the amount to bite off your plate so he'll know exactly what you're tasting, shooting what you're experiencing. He's a self-indulgent person. He might have three girls around that we'll be eating put up with, and who knows, he probably clumsy up upstairs with them later, however so what?”
Picabo Street, U.S. Olympic yellowness medalist

“We were speechless, but then, what can we do?”
Restaurant manager in Niigata, Japan, 1998, after Tomba burst look at the kitchen uninvited, picked up unornamented skillet and ingredients, and prepared myself some pasta

“He carries his own grub of Parmesan cheese. He won't turn your back on anyone else's. He just pulls soil his block of cheese and by degrees grating it.”
Eva Twardokens

“I had my razor, but no shaving cream, and Hilarious don't accept shaving cream that Berserk don't know.”
Tomba, asked at Val d'Isˆre in 1992 why he had mass groomed himself between slalom runs