Farewell to Roland Collombin, the ill-fated ski champion: he was 75 years old
Roland Collombin, a legend of alpine skiing in Switzerland and beyond, has died. A two-time World Cup champion who also won an Olympic silver medal and a silver medal at the World Championships—all in downhill—he was 75 years old. As confirmed by ‘RSI’, the champion from Valais had been diagnosed with two cancers: one in his throat and one in his liver.
A two-time World Cup winner in Kitzbühel, Collombin was honored with a heartfelt message posted on the official account of the legendary Austrian slope. His family, meanwhile, announced the news of his death in a statement: “It is with immense sadness that the Collombin family announces the passing of Roland. After a long and courageous battle, he peacefully passed away today in the house where he was born, surrounded by the love of his loved ones, just as he wished.”
Beyond the great champion whom so many admired, today we lose a deeply loved husband, father, and grandfather. We will remember him as a free-spirited, passionate, deeply human man of exceptional courage. His love for his family, the mountains, and life will remain forever etched in our hearts,” conclude Collombin’s relatives.
Born on February 17, 1951, in the Canton of Valais, Collombin had already made a name for himself on the World Cup circuit in 1971 at the age of just 20. Over the course of his career, he racked up a total of eight World Cup victories (his favorite course being Garmisch, where he won three times); the Olympic silver medalist also qualified for the World Championships at Sapporo in 1972. Forced to retire prematurely after two serious crashes—one year apart—that occurred at the exact same spot in Val d’Isère, he was effectively forced to say goodbye to competitive skiing on December 7, 1975. The fracture of two vertebrae even caused him temporary paralysis, which resolved more than two months later. The site of the two accidents is now named “Bosse à Collombin” in his honor.
Right on the Streif in Kitzbühel—the scene of some of his most memorable feats—Collombin was the protagonist of an episode emblematic of that golden age of downhill skiing. On January 26, 1974, he crossed the finish line as the undisputed champion, with the Italians Giuliano Besson and Stefano Anzi tied for second, both just 18 hundredths of a second behind. That race speaks volumes about the stature of the Valais champion during those years, as he was able to prevail on the most feared and prestigious course on the circuit, finishing ahead of some of the best downhill skiers of the time.
Collombin’s passing comes just a few months after another loss for the world of downhill skiing from that era: in October 2025, Giuliano Besson also passed away—the very same Italian downhill skier who had narrowly missed victory behind Collombin on the Streif. Besson, born in Sauze d’Oulx on January 1, 1950, and who also passed away at age 75 due to a sudden illness, had shared with Collombin not only the race courses but also the unforgettable season of Sapporo 1972. Two leading figures of an era that profoundly shaped the history of alpine skiing, both inextricably linked to that generation of athletes who transformed downhill skiing into a spectacle capable of captivating the entire world.
