Alberto Tomba won his first Olympic gold in 1988 – before Ingemar Stenmark.
But if the Italian himself had been given the choice, he would have preferred to see his rival at the top of the podium.
And it really is the ultimate tribute to one of Sweden’s biggest.
Ingemar Stenmark had many rivals over the years as the uncrowned king of the alpine world. But no one was as colorful as Alberto Tomba. He went by the nickname “Tomba la bomba”, and had his big breakthrough towards the end of Stenmark’s career.
Won before Stenis
The Italian had seen Stenmark as a youngster, and there was no talk of who was his big idol. He won his first WC medal in 1987, and in the same year he took his first World Cup victory ahead of Stenmark. However, Tomba was at least as famous for what he did outside the alpine world, and was for a few years one of the most talked about winter sports.
Ingemar Stenmark is alpine skiing’s greatest ever, but that doesn’t show when you look at his Olympic credentials. It was indeed a success in 1980, but in 1984 he was banned from starting, but four years later he was back. Stenmark was then 31 years old, his career was about to end, and in the Grand Slam he went out already in the first race. In the first race during the slalom, he did finish, but only in eleventh place.
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The words about Ingemar
In the second race, however, Ingemar Stenmark showed class. He had the fastest time of all, making it all the way to fifth place. A huge effort from a legend that many had already calculated. Alberto Tomba won, in what was his second Olympic gold in just a few days. But if he had been allowed to decide, the outcome would have been different.
– I would have liked to have been second today if only Ingemar Stenmark had won, Tomba said to a surprised media corps.
And it was no accident. Tomba always looked up to Ingemar Stenmark, and always wanted the best for the Swede.
– Stenmark is my idol and my teacher, summed it all up.
Alberto Tomba won another Olympic gold four years later, and in addition three Olympic silvers during the amazing career. In total, there were also an unparalleled 50 World Cup victories during his career.
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