Michela FIGINI

Michela Figini’s alpine skiing career took off in 1983 when she captured bronze in the giant slalom at that year’s World Junior Championships and had her first World Cup podium finish, third in the downhill, one month later. She made an impression prior to the 1984 Winter Olympics by coming in second in the Super G and winning a downhill and a combined event at the start of the World Cup season, but she was overshadowed by her compatriot Maria Walliser, who was a slight favorite in the Olympic downhill. To everyone’s surprise, however, Figini’s time stood the onslaught of every other skier and, at age 17, she won Olympic gold 0.05 seconds ahead of Walliser. Figini was also 12th in the giant slalom and continued her success by becoming World Champion in the downhill in 1985, while also claiming the overall World Cup title. In 1987 she earned the downhill World Cup title, as well as silver medals in the downhill and the Super G at the World Championships, before entering the 1988 Winter Olympics as a favorite in the downhill and the Super G. She had a bad run in the downhill and finished only ninth, but managed to snag silver in the Super G, while also failing to finish the giant slalom.

Figini won the overall title at the World Cup in 1988, but her career began to decline after that. In 1989 she captured four more victories at the World Cup (all in the downhill), giving her a career total of 23 wins and 46 podium finishes. She retired in 1990 and later worked as a television commentator. She married Italian alpine skier Ivano Camozzi, with whom she had two children.