Athlete Bios: Skiing Slalom & GS

Alberto Tomba (ITA)
Birthday: 12/19/66
Home Base: Bologna, Italy
Skis: Rossignol
Boots: Lange
Bindings: Rossignol

The only skier in the world (except maybe Picabo Street) to achieve rock-star fame and adoration, Alberto Tomba is among the biggest phenomenons to hit skiing in recent years. A common joke is Tomba's lack of discipline in training — inability to refuse his mother's pasta dinners and flirting with fans instead of running practice gates — all laughing ceases when Tomba takes flight on the course. He possesses a raw talent for destroying the competition and, in the process, makes it look easy.

Tomba assumed his title as skiing's reigning king at the '88 Calgary Olympics where he took gold in both Slalom and GS. According to Tomba, his father promised him a Ferrari if he brought home gold, so he wasn't taking any chances. He sealed his fate as a celebrity by publicly wooing ice skater Katarina Witt; beaming and posing for the cameras, he offered her a gold medal, explaining that he himself already had two. Witt chose to win her own, but Tomba became infamous.

Tomba is a veteran Slalom and GS skier within a group of relatively younger athletes competing for the gold at these games, but he's having a killer season and has a record to give the young-uns pause. Check it out: 48 World Cup wins, one World Cup overall title, eight World Cup discipline titles, three Gold and two Silver Olympic Medals and four World Championship medals.