Giorgio Di Centa
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 51) Tolmezzo , Province of Udine , ItalySki club C.S. Carabinieri Seasons 24 – (1994 –2017 ) Starts 322 Podiums 13 Wins 1 Overall titles 0 – (5th in 2008 ) Discipline titles 0 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 .[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)
World Championships
4 medals – (1 silver, 3 bronze)
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
—
—
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
Hakuba , Japan
15 km Individual F
World Cup
2nd
2
2000–01
28 December 2000
Engelberg , Switzerland
1.0 km Sprint C
World Cup
3rd
3
2003–04
25 January 2004
Val di Fiemme , Italy
70 km Mass Start C
World Cup
2nd
4
2004–05
27 November 2004
Rukatunturi , Finland
15 km Individual F
World Cup
3rd
5
12 February 2005
Reit im Winkl , Germany
15 km Individual F
World Cup
2nd
6
2005–06
11 March 2006
Oslo , Norway
50 km Individual F
World Cup
2nd
7
2006–07
7 January 2007
Val di Fiemme , Italy
11 km Pursuit F
Stage World Cup
3rd
8
2007–08
28 December 2007 – 6 January 2008
Tour de Ski
Overall Standings
World Cup
3rd
9
22 January 2008
Canmore , Canada
15 km + 15 km Pursuit C/F
World Cup
2nd
10
16 March 2008
Bormio , Italy
15 km Pursuit F
World Cup
3rd
11
2008–09
4 January 2009
Val di Fiemme , Italy
10 km Pursuit F
Stage World Cup
3rd
12
2009–10
5 February 2010
Canmore , Canada
15 km Individual F
World Cup
1st
13
2010–11
19 March 2011
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
Trondheim , Norway
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Albarello / Valbusa / Fauner
2
1996–97
19 January 1997
Lahti , Finland
12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F
World Cup
1st
Pozzi
3
28 February 1997
Trondheim , Norway
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Championships[1]
3rd
Fauner / Piller Cottrer / Valbusa
4
1998–99
26 February 1999
Ramsau , Austria
4 × 10 km Relay M
World Championships[1]
3rd
Valbusa / Maj / Fauner
5
8 March 1999
Vantaa , Finland
Team Sprint F
World Cup
1st
Zorzi
6
21 March 1999
Oslo , Norway
4 × 10 km Relay C
World Cup
3rd
Fauner / Maj / Valbusa
7
1999–00
8 December 1999
Asiago , Italy
Team Sprint F
World Cup
3rd
Zorzi
8
2000–01
13 December 2000
Clusone , Italy
10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F
World Cup
2nd
Zorzi
9
2001–02
13 January 2002
Nové Město , Czech Republic
6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F
World Cup
2nd
Zorzi
10
3 March 2002
Lahti , Finland
6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F
World Cup
1st
Zorzi
11
2002–03
24 November 2002
Kiruna , Sweden
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
1st
Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
12
8 December 2002
Davos , Switzerland
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Schwienbacher / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
13
19 January 2003
Nové Město , Czech Republic
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Valbusa / Zorzi / Schwienbacher
14
26 January 2003
Oberhof , Germany
10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F
World Cup
1st
Zorzi
15
14 February 2003
Asiago , Italy
10 × 1.4 km Team Sprint F
World Cup
1st
Zorzi
16
23 March 2003
Falun , Sweden
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
17
2004–05
21 November 2004
Gällivare , Sweden
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
18
12 December 2004
Val di Fiemme , Italy
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
19
20 March 2005
Falun , Sweden
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Clara / Checchi / Piller Cottrer
20
2005–06
15 January 2006
Val di Fiemme , Italy
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
1st
Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
21
2006–07
4 February 2007
Davos , Switzerland
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Santus
22
2007–08
9 December 2007
Davos , Switzerland
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
23
2010–11
6 February 2011
Rybinsk , Russia
4 × 10 km Relay C/F
World Cup
2nd
Checchi / Clara / Piller Cottrer
See also
References
External links
1936 : Sulo Nurmela , Klaes Karppinen , Matti Lähde , Kalle Jalkanen (FIN )
1948 : Nils Östensson , Nils Täpp , Gunnar Eriksson , Martin Lundström (SWE )
1952 : Heikki Hasu , Paavo Lonkila , Urpo Korhonen , Tapio Mäkelä (FIN )
1956 : Fyodor Terentyev , Pavel Kolchin , Nikolay Anikin , Vladimir Kuzin (URS )
1960 : Toimi Alatalo , Eero Mäntyranta , Väinö Huhtala , Veikko Hakulinen (FIN )
1964 : Karl-Åke Asph , Sixten Jernberg , Janne Stefansson , Assar Rönnlund (SWE )
1968 : Odd Martinsen , Pål Tyldum , Harald Grønningen , Ole Ellefsæter (NOR )
1972 : Vladimir Voronkov , Yuri Skobov , Fyodor Simashev , Vyacheslav Vedenin (URS )
1976 : Matti Pitkänen , Juha Mieto , Pertti Teurajärvi , Arto Koivisto (FIN )
1980 : Vasily Rochev , Nikolay Bazhukov , Yevgeny Belyayev , Nikolay Zimyatov (URS )
1984 : Thomas Wassberg , Benny Kohlberg , Jan Ottosson , Gunde Svan (SWE )
1988 : Jan Ottosson , Thomas Wassberg , Gunde Svan , Torgny Mogren (SWE )
1992 : Terje Langli , Vegard Ulvang , Kristen Skjeldal , Bjørn Dæhlie (NOR )
1994 : Maurilio De Zolt , Marco Albarello , Giorgio Vanzetta , Silvio Fauner (ITA )
1998 : Sture Sivertsen , Erling Jevne , Bjørn Dæhlie , Thomas Alsgaard (NOR )
2002 : Anders Aukland , Frode Estil , Kristen Skjeldal , Thomas Alsgaard (NOR )
2006 : Fulvio Valbusa , Giorgio Di Centa , Pietro Piller Cottrer , Cristian Zorzi (ITA )
2010 : Daniel Rickardsson , Johan Olsson , Anders Södergren , Marcus Hellner (SWE )
2014 : Lars Nelson , Daniel Rickardsson , Johan Olsson , Marcus Hellner (SWE )
2018 : Didrik Tønseth , Martin Johnsrud Sundby , Simen Hegstad Krüger , Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR )
2022 : Aleksey Chervotkin , Alexander Bolshunov , Denis Spitsov , Sergey Ustiugov (ROC )