Giorgio Di Centa


Giorgio Di Centa is an Italian 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 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 March 1, 2015 at the age of 42 after the end of the 50 km at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2015.
In December 20, 2015, he returned to the World Cup race in the 15 km classic in Toblach, Italy.

World Cup results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation.

World Cup standings

Individual podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlace
11996–9712 January 1997 Hakuba, Japan15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
22000–0128 December 2000 Engelberg, Switzerland1.0 km Sprint CWorld Cup3rd
32003–0425 January 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy70 km Mass Start CWorld Cup2nd
42004–0527 November 2004 Rukatunturi, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup3rd
52004–0512 February 2005 Reit im Winkl, Germany15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
62005–0611 March 2006 Oslo, Norway50 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
72006–077 January 2007 Val di Fiemme, Italy11 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
82007–0828 December 2007
– 6 January 2008		 Tour de SkiOverall StandingsWorld Cup3rd
92007–0822 January 2008 Canmore, Canada15 km + 15 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup2nd
102007–0816 March 2008 Bormio, Italy15 km Pursuit FWorld Cup3rd
112008–094 January 2009 Val di Fiemme, Italy10 km Pursuit FStage World Cup3rd
122009–105 February 2010 Canmore, Canada15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
132010–1119 March 2011 Falun, Sweden10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/FStage World Cup2nd

Team podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlaceTeammate
1 1995–96 25 February 1996 Trondheim, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndAlbarello / Valbusa / Fauner
21996–9719 January 1997 Lahti, Finland12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stPozzi
31996–9728 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Championships3rdFauner / Piller Cottrer / Valbusa
4 1998–99 26 February 1999 Ramsau, Austria4 × 10 km Relay MWorld Championships3rdValbusa / Maj / Fauner
5 1998–99 8 March 1999 Vantaa, FinlandTeam Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
6 1998–99 21 March 1999 Oslo, Norway4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup3rdFauner / Maj / Valbusa
7 1999–00 8 December 1999 Asiago, ItalyTeam Sprint FWorld Cup3rdZorzi
8 2000–01 13 December 2000 Clusone, Italy10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndZorzi
9 2001–02 13 January 2002 Nové Město, Czech Republic6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup2ndZorzi
10 2001–02 3 March 2002 Lahti, Finland6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
112002–0324 November 2002 Kiruna, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
122002–038 December 2002 Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndSchwienbacher / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
132002–0319 January 2003 Nové Město, Czech Republic4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Zorzi / Schwienbacher
142002–0326 January 2003 Oberhof, Germany10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
152002–0314 February 2003 Asiago, Italy10 × 1.4 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup1stZorzi
162002–0323 March 2003 Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
17 2004–05 21 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
18 2004–05 12 December 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndValbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
19 2004–05 20 March 2005 Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndClara / Checchi / Piller Cottrer
202005–0615 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup1stChecchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
21 2006–07 4 February 2007 Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndChecchi / Piller Cottrer / Santus
22 2007–08 9 December 2007 Davos, Switzerland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndChecchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi
23 2010–11 6 February 2011 Rybinsk, Russia4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndChecchi / Clara / Piller Cottrer

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