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Giorgio Di Centa

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Italian cross-country skier
Giorgio Di Centa
Di Centa at the 2007 Tour de Ski in Prague.
Country Italy
Born (1972-10-07) 7 October 1972 (age 52)
Tolmezzo, Province of Udine, Italy
Ski clubC.S. Carabinieri
World Cup career
Seasons24 – (1994–2017)
Indiv. starts322
Indiv. podiums13
Indiv. wins1
Team starts59
Team podiums23
Team wins7
Overall titles0 – (5th in 2008)
Discipline titles0
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  Italy
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Turin 50 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2006 Turin 4 × 10 km relay
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City 4 × 10 km relay
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2005 Oberstdorf 30 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Trondheim 4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Ramsau 4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Liberec 30 km pursuit
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1992 Vuokatti 30 km freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Vuokatti 4 × 10 km relay
Updated on 14 April 2019.

Giorgio Di Centa (born 7 October 1972 in Tolmezzo, Province of Udine) is an Italian former cross-country skier who won two gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics, including the individual 50 km freestyle race. He is the younger brother of Olympic gold medalist, cross-country skier Manuela Di Centa.

Biography

Di Centa began cross-county skiing very early in a family in which his elder brother Andrea was also a professional skier. At the age of 16 he became a member of Italy's junior team while also skiing for the Carabinieri sport team. He became a member of Italy's senior team in 1995. He finished 8th in the 30 km event at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

After a silver medal at the 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in the double pursuit and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in the 4 x 10 km. Di Centa, who had never won an individual race in the cross-country skiing World Cup, arrived in great shape for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He would finish a disappointing fourth in the 30 km double pursuit, losing a medal at the finish to fellow Italian Pietro Piller Cottrer. The two were also key players in the strongest Italian relay team ever, winning gold in the 4 x 10 km race.

Di Centa's greatest victory was in the 50 km race where he defeated Russian Eugeni Dementiev by 0.8 seconds, the closest 50 km event in Olympic history, eclipsing Thomas Wassberg's 4.9 second victory over Gunde Svan (both Sweden) at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. The medals ceremony for the 50 km occurred during the Closing Ceremony where Di Centa's sister, Olympic medalist Manuela Di Centa, presented him with the gold medal. He won a bronze medal in the 15 km + 15 km double pursuit at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec.

For the 2010 Winter Olympics, a picture of Di Centa in competition during the 50 km event at the previous Olympics was used as a pictogram for the cross-country skiing events. In September 2009, it was announced that Di Centa was named flagbearer for the opening ceremony for the 2010 Games.

He retired on 1 March 2015 at the age of 42, after the end of the 50 km at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2015.

On 20 December 2015 he returned to the World Cup race in the 15 km classic in Toblach, Italy.

The father of three children, his daughter Martina competed for Italy at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Cross-country skiing.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games

  • 3 medals – (2 gold, 1 silver)
 Year   Age   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   50 km   Sprint   4 × 10 km 
 relay  		 Team 
 sprint 
1998 25 — — — 8 — — — —
2002 29 — 35 4 — 11 — Silver —
2006 33 — — 4 — Gold — Gold 9
2010 37 — 10 12 — 11 — 9 —
2014 41 — — 11 — — — 5 —

World Championships

  • 4 medals – (1 silver, 3 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   50 km   Sprint   4 × 10 km 
 relay  		 Team 
 sprint 
1997 24 17 — 12 — — — Bronze —
1999 26 18 — 11 — — — Bronze —
2001 28 — — 18 34 — — — —
2003 30 — — 27 — — — — —
2005 32 — 14 Silver — — — 4 —
2007 34 — 25 11 — 31 — 9 —
2009 36 — — Bronze — 4 — 4 —
2011 38 — — 10 — 9 — 5 —
2013 40 — — 16 — 19 — 4 —
2015 42 — — — — 22 — — —

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Nordic
Opening 		Tour de
Ski 		World Cup
Final 		Ski Tour
Canada
1994 21 NC — — — — — — — —
1995 22 81 — — — — — — — —
1996 23 22 — — — — — — — —
1997 24 16 — 27 — 11 — — — —
1998 25 45 — 35 — 63 — — — —
1999 26 25 — 34 — 35 — — — —
2000 27 46 — 61 38 39 — — — —
2001 28 16 — — — 12 — — — —
2002 29 26 — — — 31 — — — —
2003 30 11 — — — 55 — — — —
2004 31 23 16 — — NC — — — —
2005 32 8 5 — — NC — — — —
2006 33 16 8 — — — — — — —
2007 34 36 29 — — 80 — 20 — —
2008 35 5 7 — — 38 — 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) —
2009 36 8 13 — — 26 — 4 15 —
2010 37 10 6 — — 102 — 10 10 —
2011 38 17 16 — — 85 31 13 4 —
2012 39 31 27 — — 77 31 15 15 —
2013 40 11 14 — — 87 28 8 7 —
2014 41 55 52 — — NC 26 17 — —
2015 42 104 62 — — NC 75 33 — —
2016 43 NC NC — — — — — — —
2017 44 NC NC — — NC — DNF — —

Individual podiums

  • 1 victory – (1 WC)
  • 13 podiums – (10 WC, 3 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1996–97 12 January 1997 Japan Hakuba, Japan 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
2 2000–01 28 December 2000 Switzerland Engelberg, Switzerland 1.0 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd
3 2003–04 25 January 2004 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 70 km Mass Start C World Cup 2nd
4 2004–05 27 November 2004 Finland Rukatunturi, Finland 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
5 12 February 2005 Germany Reit im Winkl, Germany 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
6 2005–06 11 March 2006 Norway Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
7 2006–07 7 January 2007 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 11 km Pursuit F Stage World Cup 3rd
8 2007–08 28 December 2007
– 6 January 2008		 Czech RepublicItaly Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 3rd
9 22 January 2008 Canada Canmore, Canada 15 km + 15 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
10 16 March 2008 Italy Bormio, Italy 15 km Pursuit F World Cup 3rd
11 2008–09 4 January 2009 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km Pursuit F Stage World Cup 3rd
12 2009–10 5 February 2010 Canada Canmore, Canada 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st
13 2010–11 19 March 2011 Sweden Falun, Sweden 10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/F Stage World Cup 2nd

Team podiums

  • 7 victories – (2 RL, 5 TS)
  • 23 podiums – (15 RL, 8 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
1  1995–96  25 February 1996 Norway Trondheim, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Albarello / Valbusa / Fauner
2 1996–97 19 January 1997 Finland Lahti, Finland 12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Pozzi
3 28 February 1997 Norway Trondheim, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Championships 3rd Fauner / Piller Cottrer / Valbusa
4  1998–99  26 February 1999 Austria Ramsau, Austria 4 × 10 km Relay M World Championships 3rd Valbusa / Maj / Fauner
5 8 March 1999 Finland Vantaa, Finland Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi
6 21 March 1999 Norway Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Fauner / Maj / Valbusa
7  1999–00  8 December 1999 Italy Asiago, Italy Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Zorzi
8  2000–01  13 December 2000 Italy Clusone, Italy 10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 2nd Zorzi
9  2001–02  13 January 2002 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 2nd Zorzi
10 3 March 2002 Finland Lahti, Finland 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi
11 2002–03 24 November 2002 Sweden Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
12 8 December 2002 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Schwienbacher / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
13 19 January 2003 Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Zorzi / Schwienbacher
14 26 January 2003 Germany Oberhof, Germany 10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi
15 14 February 2003 Italy Asiago, Italy 10 × 1.4 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi
16 23 March 2003 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
17  2004–05  21 November 2004 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
18 12 December 2004 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
19 20 March 2005 Sweden Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Clara / Checchi / Piller Cottrer
20 2005–06 15 January 2006 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
21  2006–07  4 February 2007 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Santus
22  2007–08  9 December 2007 Switzerland Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
23  2010–11  6 February 2011 Russia Rybinsk, Russia 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Checchi / Clara / Piller Cottrer

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Giorgio Di Centa – Biografia" (in Italian). giorgiodicenta.it. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  2. "Athlete : DI CENTA Giorgio". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 5 February 2018.

External links

Winter Olympics
Preceded byCarolina Kostner Italy Flag bearer for Italy
2010 Vancouver 		Succeeded byArmin Zöggeler
Olympic champions in men's 50 km cross-country
Olympic champions in men's 4 × 10 km cross-country relay
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