Manuela Di Centa (born 31 January 1963) is an Italian former cross-country skier and Olympic athlete. She is the sister of former cross-country skier Giorgio Di Centa and cousin of former track and field athlete Venanzio Ortis.
Career Di Centa, born in Paluzza, province of Udine, to a family of Nordic skiers, made her debut on the Italian national team in 1980 at the age of 17, skied with the G.S. Forestale. Two years later, she competed at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo, finishing in eighth place. After a quarrel with the president of the Italian Skiing Federation, Di Centa left the national team, not returning until 1986.
At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she finished sixth in the 20 km freestyle. She won her first medals in international competition at the 1991 World Championships in Val di Fiemme: a silver (4 × 5 km relay) and two bronzes (5 km, 30 km). An Olympic medal followed in 1992, a bronze in the 4 × 5 km relay. In 1993, at the Falun World Championships, she won two more silvers (30 km, 4 × 5 km relay). At the 1995 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, she won another silver (30 km) and a bronze (5 km).
Di Centa also became Italian national champion in fell running in 1985, 1989 and 1991.
Di Centa seemed confined to the role of the eternal second, but this changed abruptly at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, where she medaled in all five cross-country events: two gold, two silver and one bronze medal. The same year she also won her first aggregate Cross-Country Skiing World Cup, a feat she repeated in 1996.
In 1996 she was the first Italian cross-country skier to receive the Holmenkollen Medal. Her last title was a bronze at the 1998 Winter Olympics in the 4 × 5 km relay.
After retiring, Di Centa worked for Italian television (RAI), and became a member of the Italian and International Olympic Committees.
Di Centa became the first Italian woman to climb Mount Everest (with supplementary oxygen) in 2003.
Di Centa is the first Italian woman (and the 19th Italian) to compete at five Olympics, which she did from 1984 to 1998.
Her younger brother Giorgio is currently a member of the Italian national cross-country ski team and was the winner of two gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics, di Centa was inducted into the Olympians for Life project.
Her niece, Martina, competed for 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics in Cross-country skiing.
Di Centa is a vegan."Manuela Di Centa: Sport e dieta vegan, connubio azzeccato". terranuova.it. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
2006 Winter Olympics As a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and as one of Italy's most accomplished Winter Olympic athletes, Di Centa played a prominent public role in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. She was one of the eight flag bearers during the Opening Ceremonies. At the Closing Ceremonies, she participated in the awarding of medals to the winners of the men's 50 km cross-country race. Coincidentally, the gold medal winner was her younger brother Giorgio.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 7 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) Year Age 5 km 10 km 15 km Pursuit 20 km 30 km 4 × 5 km relay 1984 21 24 28 26 9 1988 25 18 20 6 — 1992 29 12 — 10 6 Bronze 1994 31 Silver Gold Silver Gold Bronze 1998 35 21 — 23 — Bronze
World Championships 7 medals – (4 silver, 3 bronze) Year Age 5 km 10 km classical 10 km freestyle 15 km Pursuit 20 km 30 km 4 × 5 km relay 1982 18 8 17 — — 1989 25 8 7 — 5 6 1991 27 Bronze 4 — BronzeSilver 1993 29 10 5 4SilverSilver 1995 31 Bronze — 4 Silver4 1997 33 34 12 —4
World Cup Season standings Season Age Overall Long Distance Sprint 1982 18 22 1984 20 49 1987 23 49 1988 24 27 1989 25 4 1990 26 5 1991 27 5 1992 28 9 1993 29 5 1994 30 1995 31 20 1996 32 1997 33 4127 — 1998 34 20 20 21
Individual podiums
15 victories 35 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1988–89 13 January 1989 Klingenthal, East Germany 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd2 11 March 1989 Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd3 1989–9018 February 1990 Pontresina, Switzerland 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st4 7 March 1990 Sollefteå, Sweden 30 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st5 10 March 1990 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd6 1990–91 12 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy 5 km Individual C World Championships 3rd7 16 February 1991 30 km Individual F World Championships 3rd8 10 March 1991 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd9 16 March 1991 Oslo, Norway 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd10 1992–93 27 February 1993 Falun, Sweden 30 km Individual F World Championships 2nd11 6 March 1993 Lahti, Finland 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd12 9 March 1993 Lillehammer, Norway 5 km Individual C World Cup 3rd13 10 March 1993 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 2nd14 10 March 1993 Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd15 1993–94 18 December 1993 Davos, Switzerland 10 km Individual F World Cup 3rd16 21 December 1993 Toblach, Italy 15 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st17 15 January 1994 Oslo, Norway 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd18 13 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway 15 km Individual FOlympic Games 1st19 15 February 1994 5 km Individual C Olympic Games 2nd20 17 February 1994 10 km Pursuit F Olympic Games 2nd21 24 February 1994 30 km Individual CFOlympic Games 1st22 6 March 1994 Lahti, Finland 30 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st23 12 March 1994 Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st24 20 March 1994 Thunder Bay, Canada 10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup 1st25 1994–95 12 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada 5 km Individual C World Championships 3rd26 18 March 1995 30 km Individual F World Championships 2nd27 1995–96 9 December 1995 Davos, Switzerland 5 km Individual F World Cup 3rd28 9 January 1996 Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia 30 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st29 18 March 1995 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd30 2 February 1996 Seefeld, Austria 5 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st31 11 February 1996 Kavgolovo, Russia 10 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st32 24 February 1996 Trondheim, Norway 5 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st33 25 February 1996 10 km Pursuit FWorld Cup 1st34 2 March 1996 Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st35 9 March 1996 Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
Team podiums
1 victory – (1 ) 9 podiums – (8 , 1 )
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)1 1990–91 15 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 2nd Vanzetta / Paruzzi / Belmondo2 1991–92 18 February 1992 Albertville, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games 3rd Vanzetta / Paruzzi / Belmondo3 1992–93 26 February 1993 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Championships 2nd Vanzetta / Paruzzi / Belmondo4 1993–94 22 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F Olympic Games 3rd Vanzetta / Paruzzi / Belmondo5 1995–96 17 December 1995 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Paluselli / Belmondo / Paruzzi6 14 January 1996 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 5 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Paluselli / Belmondo / Paruzzi7 3 February 1996 Seefeld, Austria 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint FWorld Cup 1st Belmondo8 10 March 1996 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Giacomuzzi / Dal Sasso / Belmondo9 1997–98 14 December 1997 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 2nd Paruzzi / Valbusa / Belmondo
Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
National titles Italian Mountain Running Championships Mountain running: 1985, 1989, 1991 (3)
Politics Manuela Di Centa, who has been vice-president of the National Council of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) until 2006, is also involved in politics and was a member of the Chamber of Deputies for Forza Italia, between 2006 and 2013. She became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and remained there until 2010. She currently serves as the head of the Olympic organizing committee for the 2028 Winter Youth Olympics.Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Qualification System Principles approved, new YOGOC President appointed
Doping allegations The Swedish investigative television programme Uppdrag granskning claimed that Di Centa had an exceptionally high haemoglobin level prior to a World Cup in Lahti in 1997. Di Centa's haemoglobin value was measured in an official pre-competition test as high as 17.3 g/dL. The allowed limit to start in an official FIS competition is 16.5 g/dL.
See also List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games Italian sportswomen multiple medalists at Olympics and World Championships
References
External links
Holmenkollen medalists - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file