The 10 highlights of a unique career: always and only Deborah, from Albertville to Nagano

Alpine Skiing: All news

Sestriere: All information

Our video-photo story to relive the emotions given us by the most successful blue ever, despite the injuries that have interrupted and shortened its history in the white circus.

Thursday 4 June 2020 14 minutes reading time

From No. 10 to No. 1, we have chosen these 10 moments to celebrate the birthday of the immense Deborah Compagnoni. 10.Morzine - January 26, 1992 - A star born between suffering and injuries - Deborah is only 21 years old, but in reality in her competitive career she has already experienced all the colors from a very young age, since after the junior world title in giant (in '87 in Saelen), he amazed everyone at the start of the World Cup with a 5th place in super-g in Sestriere and a 4th downhill in Val d''Isère at just 17 years of age. The subsequent crash in his right knee, then an intestinal blockage that endangers his life, will immediately interrupt the path of a star that finally manages to emerge in the 1991/92 season. First podium in December in his Santa Caterina Valfurva, second in giant behind Vreni Schneider, then after a month and a half here is the triumph in the super-g of Morzine. In 2nd place, almost half a second, there is the poor Ulrike Maier, the Norwegian Fjeldavlie third. A little over a year later, the second success in CdM will arrive again in the same location and in the same discipline, with Albertville's triumph and drama in the middle. But that's another story ... 9.Narvik - March 2, 1996 - Driving a historic hat-trick - The Valtellinese has not won in the cup for almost 14 months (January 8th between the wide doors at Haus im Ennstal), but has returned from the triumph in the world giant of Sierra Nevada. Always between the wide doors, not even a dozen days later, Deborah leads a legendary Italian hat-trick, the first in the history of women's blue skiing, with the leader of the movement that precedes by 1 "39 Sabina Panzanini and 1" 74 Isolde Kostner. Mind you, from 4th to 7th place conclude champions like Seizinger, Ertl, Nef and Wachter ... 8.Park City - November 21, 1997 - Record detachment during a crazy streak - The Park City giant is the second of the 1997/98 season. Compagnoni has already triumphed in the opening of Tignes, but it is in Utah that he writes another page of history. The blue highlights the beauty of 3 "41 to Alexandra Meissnitzer and 3" 86 to the third place, the Norwegian Andrine Flemmen; none like Debby, in the heart of a streak of successes in giant (including the world gold of Sestriere) which began in Zwiesel in January 1997 and which will arrive, after the subsequent victories in Park City, or in Val d''Isère and Bormio , up to 9 consecutive. 7.Lillehammer - February 24, 1994 - The second gold in the Olympics - Two years after Albertville, Deborah takes back the giant Olympic title that everyone already predicted in France, after the triumph in super-g and before the drama of that '' knee injury. It is an authentic symphony that on the snow of Hafjell, to symbolize the season of the true return to high level, since before the Games three victories had already arrived in the cup giants, between Tignes, Veysonnaz and Morzine. The five-circle podium is simply regal, with Martina Ertl forced to second place, well 1 "22 apart, and Vreni Schneider who reaches 2 seconds clear of the giant's queen. 6.Sierra Nevada - February 22, 1996 - The first world title in comeback - It is not a simple season, indeed, Deborah is always forced to chase and the same will happen in the world giant on the Spanish snow. Sonja Nef dominates the first heat and seems impregnable, but the Switzerland is wrong in the second, leaving the scene and opening the doors of the first world title to Valtellina, which beats the other Swiss Karin Roten for 35 cents, with Martina Ertl third at 7 tenths . It will be another important turning point, this time in a positive way, in Deborah Compagnoni's career, who will then say goodbye to the white circus in Sierra Nevada three years later, playing the last race in the World Cup. Obviously in giant. 5.Sestriere - 5 February 1997 - What a night on the hill ... in a slalom! - It is Deborah Compagnoni's World Championship, it cannot be otherwise in the heart of a season that sees her dominate in giant and, just a month before the world championship on the Piedmontese snow, obtaining Semmering the first and only success in a slalom of World Cup. Just the world test between the narrow poles is held four days before the giant: we run in the spotlight on the "Kandahar G.A. Agnelli ”and the Swiss Roten leads with 5 cents on Deborah and 46 on Lara Magoni, which guarantees the medal with an excellent second heat. When it comes to the teammate, the roar of the public in Sestriere is unique: the Valtellinese is legendary on the wall, makes the void and concludes with 1 "27 on the Bergamo area, which will give itself the silver for a magical blue brace, with Roten at the end of third even at 1 ”60. A riot, seasoned by the creepy commentary by Bruno Gattai. 4.Nagano - 19/20 February 1998 - Only 6 cents between Debby and the brace - It is the third and final Olympics for the snow queen, which seemed to have slightly decreased in the last World Cup races before the Games. As if by magic, a Compagnoni arrives in Japan ready to look for another Olympic gold, in just 24 hours that divide the slalom and the giant. Among the rapid gates it seems made for the third title in three different disciplines after Albertville and Lillehammer, but in the final stretch of the 2nd round Deborah gives over 6 tenths to Hilde Gerg, who scoffs for only 6 cents. The following day, the revenge it is a timeless champion: there is no history in the Olympic giant, the blue triumphs with 1 ”80 on Meissnitzer and 2” 02 on Seizinger. It is February 20, 1998, Deborah becomes the first woman to win 3 gold in 3 different editions of the Games. That will be the last success of his career. 3.Albertville / Méribel - February 19, 1992 - That cry of pain in the homes of the Italians - Just 24 hours have passed since the triumph in the super-g, Deborah wants a golden bis even in giant and part in all. A few seconds of competition in that first cursed run, the inclination and the left leg loaded extremely ("I never thought that the healthy knee would have given me problems", he will say later) mean crashing to the anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee. A terrible scream, the one that from Méribel ends up in the houses of the Italians, while Deborah holds that knee tight and collapses to the ground. Once again, bad luck stopped her, but just that day fans have probably understood the greatness of the champion, who will be operated a few days later in Lyon by Prof Chambat, who had already intervened on his right knee. Begin another long recovery before recovering glory. 2.Albertville / Méribel - February 18, 1992 - First Olympic gem, what a super-g domain - Deborah's debut in a five-circle competition is simply unforgettable. The super-g on the Méribel Olympic track is very tough, with the owner of the house Carole Merle in the lead, when it comes to the blue; bib number 16, has already won three weeks before in Morzine for the first time in the cup, but no one can expect such a test. Debby trims 1 ”41 in the French style, with Seizinger bronze at almost 2 seconds. It is the birth of a star, just on the day when Alberto Tomba conquers his third and last Olympic title, in the nearby Val d''Isère in giant size: the most beautiful day in the history of blue skiing. 1.Sestriere - February 9, 1997 - Gold brace, Deborah takes the world - With the world slalom title in her pocket, the approach to the world champion giant to look for the encore, one year from Sierra Nevada, is a a little more serene for a Compagnoni capable of making the void already in the first heat. With over 7 tenths of a margin, the management of the second seems almost academy to get to sign a single brace, with Roten still second (at 80 cents) and Leila Piccarda third at 1 ”76, ahead of Wachter, Seizinger, Wiberg and Kostner. This is probably the high point of a legendary career.