Roland Collombin (17 February 1951 – 10 July 2026) was a Swiss World Cup alpine ski racer, a two-time World Cup downhill champion, and Olympic silver medalist.
Racing career Born in Versegères in the canton of Valais, Collombin made his first World Cup top ten finish at age 20 in December 1971 with a seventh place in the downhill at Val-d'Isère, France. Two months later, he won the silver medal in the downhill at the 1972 Winter Olympics at Sapporo, Japan, finishing behind countryman Bernhard Russi.
Collombin dominated the event over the next two World Cup seasons, 1973 and 1974, and won the World Cup season titles in downhill.
In January 1974, Collombin won the month's four downhills in consecutive weeks, which included the two classics: the Lauberhorn at Wengen, Switzerland, and the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel, Austria. Collombin had finished second in the previous two downhills in December 1973 for six consecutive downhill podiums. The repeat win at Kitzbühel was in record time, besting Jean-Claude Killy's mark of 1967, but was Collombin's last finish in international competition. (Franz Klammer of Austria broke the record at Kitzbühel the following year.)
The World Championships were held in Switzerland in February 1974 at St. Moritz. The Swiss team had won seven medals at the Olympics two years earlier in Japan, but managed just one at home, a bronze in the women's slalom (by Lise-Marie Morerod). Collombin could not continue his January success; he fell in the downhill and did not finish, but he was 0.45 seconds behind winner David Zwilling before he did fall, perhaps too big a margin to take the win.
Injuries On 8 December 1974, Collombin fell in the season's first downhill at Val-d'Isère and bruised his spine, ending his 1975 season. In his absence, Franz Klammer of Austria won the first of his four straight downhill season titles. Collombin attempted a comeback on 7 December 1975 at Val-d'Isère, but fell in the first training at the same jump as the year before and broke two vertebrae, being paralyzed for two days and ending his racing career. That jump has been called "Bosse à Collombin" since that time. Nearly paralyzed, Collombin did not walk again until mid-February, after the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. He finished his World Cup career with eight victories and three runner-up finishes, all in downhill.
By now, Collombin was a viniculturist, wine merchant, and hotelier in Versegères.
After ski-racing life Collombin and his wife Sarah operated a guest house in Versegères, and they had a product line of wines.Reviews of Rolland Collombin guest house in Versegères, Switzerland. tripadvisor.comCommandez vos vins préférés. rolandcollumbin.ch – wines – accessed 2 January 2011 In late 2014, they opened a raclette bar in Martigny named "La Streif", in reference to the challenging downhill course in Kitzbühel, Austria, where he won twice (1973, 1974).La «Colombe» remet la gomme, mais cette fois en famille! illustre.ch. 17 December 2014
Death Collombin died on 10 July 2026, at the age of 75, following a two-year battle with throat and liver cancer.Ski legend Roland Collombin has died
World Cup results
Season titles Season Discipline 1973 Downhill 1974 Downhill
Season standings Season Age Overall Slalom GiantSlalom Super G Downhill Combined 1972 21 38 — — notrun 15 notawarded 1973 22 3 — — 1 1974 23 4 — — 1 1975 24 injured at first DH race, out for season 1976 25
Top ten finishes 8 wins – (8 DH) 11 podiums – (11 DH), 14 top tens Season Date Location Discipline Place 1972 12 December 1971 Val-d'Isère, France Downhill 7th15 January 1972 Kitzbühel, Austria Downhill 7th 1972 Winter Olympics1973 10 December 1972 Val-d'Isère, France Downhill 4th15 December 1972 Val Gardena, Italy Downhill 1st6 January 1973 Garmisch, West Germany Downhill 1st7 January 1973 Downhill 1st13 January 1973 Grindelwald, Switzerland Downhill 2nd27 January 1973 Kitzbühel, Austria Downhill 1st 1974 18 December 1973 Zell am See, Austria Downhill 2nd22 December 1973 Schladming, Austria Downhill 2nd6 January 1974 Garmisch, West Germany Downhill 1st12 January 1974 Avoriaz, France Downhill 1st19 January 1974 Wengen, Switzerland Downhill 1st26 January 1974 Kitzbühel, Austria Downhill 1st
World championship results Year Age Slalom Giant Slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1972 20 — — not run 2 — 1974 22 — — DNF — From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.
Olympic results Year Age Slalom Giant Slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1972 20 — — not run 2 not run
References
External links
Videos – Roland Collombin – penultimate victory – Wengen – 19-Jan-1974 – Albrecht vs. Collombin – career ending crashes of two Swiss downhillers – (Jan 2009 vs Dec 1975)