Giorgio Di Centa

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.

Giorgio Di Centa
Di Centa at the 2007 Tour de Ski in Prague.
Country Italy
Born (1972-10-07) 7 October 1972
Tolmezzo, Province of Udine, Italy
Ski clubC.S. Carabinieri
World Cup career
Seasons24 – (1994–2017)
Individual wins1
Team wins7
Indiv. podiums13
Team podiums23
Indiv. starts322
Team starts59
Overall titles0 – (5th in 2008)
Discipline titles0
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  Italy
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2006 Turin50 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place2006 Turin4 × 10 km relay
Silver medal – second place2002 Salt Lake City4 × 10 km relay
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2005 Oberstdorf30 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place1997 Trondheim4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place1999 Ramsau4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place2009 Liberec30 km pursuit
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place1992 Vuokatti30 km freestyle
Bronze medal – third place1992 Vuokatti4 × 10 km relay
Updated on 14 April 2019.

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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).[2]

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 
199825———8————
200229—354—11—Silver—
200633——4—Gold—Gold9
201037—1012—11—9—
201441——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 
19972417—12———Bronze—
19992618—11———Bronze—
200128——1834————
200330——27—————
200532—14Silver———4—
200734—2511—31—9—
200936——Bronze—4—4—
201138——10—9—5—
201340——16—19—4—
201542————22———

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
199421NC————————
19952281————————
19962322————————
19972416—27—11————
19982545—35—63————
19992625—34—35————
20002746—613839————
20012816———12————
20022926———31————
20033011———55————
2004312316——NC————
20053285——NC————
200633168———————
2007343629——80—20——
20083557——38—3rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)—
200936813——26—415—
201037106——102—1010—
2011381716——8531134—
2012393127——77311515—
2013401114——872887—
2014415552——NC2617——
20154210462——NC7533——
201643NCNC———————
201744NCNC——NC—DNF——

Individual podiums
  • 1 victory – (1 WC)
  • 13 podiums – (10 WC, 3 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
11996–9712 January 1997Japan Hakuba, Japan15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
22000–0128 December 2000Switzerland Engelberg, Switzerland1.0 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
32003–0425 January 2004Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy70 km Mass Start CWorld Cup2nd
42004–0527 November 2004Finland Rukatunturi, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
512 February 2005Germany Reit im Winkl, Germany15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
62005–0611 March 2006Norway Oslo, Norway50 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
72006–077 January 2007Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy11 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
82007–0828 December 2007
– 6 January 2008		Czech RepublicItaly Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup3rd
922 January 2008Canada Canmore, Canada15 km + 15 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup2nd
1016 March 2008Italy Bormio, Italy15 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
112008–094 January 2009Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
122009–105 February 2010Canada Canmore, Canada15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
132010–1119 March 2011Sweden Falun, Sweden10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/FStage World Cup2nd

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 1996Norway Trondheim, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndAlbarello / Valbusa / Fauner
21996–9719 January 1997Finland Lahti, Finland12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stPozzi
328 February 1997Norway Trondheim, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]3rdFauner / Piller Cottrer / Valbusa
4 1998–99 26 February 1999Austria Ramsau, Austria4 × 10 km Relay MWorld Championships[1]3rdValbusa / Maj / Fauner
58 March 1999Finland Vantaa, FinlandTeam Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
621 March 1999Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup3rdFauner / Maj / Valbusa
7 1999–00 8 December 1999Italy Asiago, ItalyTeam Sprint FWorld Cup3rdZorzi
8 2000–01 13 December 2000Italy Clusone, Italy10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndZorzi
9 2001–02 13 January 2002Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndZorzi
103 March 2002Finland Lahti, Finland6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
112002–0324 November 2002Sweden Kiruna, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
128 December 2002Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndSchwienbacher / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
1319 January 2003Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Zorzi / Schwienbacher
1426 January 2003Germany Oberhof, Germany10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
1514 February 2003Italy Asiago, Italy10 × 1.4 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
1623 March 2003Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
17 2004–05 21 November 2004Sweden Gällivare, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
1812 December 2004Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
1920 March 2005Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndClara / Checchi / Piller Cottrer
202005–0615 January 2006Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stChecchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
21 2006–07 4 February 2007Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndChecchi / Piller Cottrer / Santus
22 2007–08 9 December 2007Switzerland Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndChecchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
23 2010–11 6 February 2011Russia Rybinsk, Russia4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndChecchi / Clara / Piller Cottrer

Note: 1 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.
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