Alberto Tomba suffered a painful loss. © AFP / OLIVIER MORIN

Great sadness for ski legend Alberto Tomba

Alberto Tomba is a legend in the ski circuit and in Italian sports. Now the 57-year-old is deeply affected by a death.

04 Maj 2024

From: det

In the history of skiing, Alberto Tomba is one of the most colorful figures ever. On the one hand, because he was a highly gifted athlete who, with 50 World Cup victories, is the most successful skier of all time behind Ingemar Stenmark, Marcel Hirscher and Hermann Maier. On the other hand, because Tomba fascinated the whole of Italy with his eccentric nature.

Always quietly in the background was Franco Tomba, Alberto's father. And yet, or perhaps precisely because of this, his father was one of the exceptional carers' most important caregivers. Franco Tomba died on Saturday at the age of 84.

Alberto (left) and his father Franco Tomba (Photo: FISI).

“Franco is the one who made Alberto become the champion that everyone knows, but he did it in an elegant and serious way. At this moment we are all close to the family,” said Flavio Roda, the president of the Italian Winter Sports Federation.

Italy's winter sports family is mourning its most successful athlete of all time. Franco Tomba leaves behind his wife Maria Grazia and three children: Alberto, Alessia and Marco.