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, also returning for the 2026 Olympics.
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 standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintNordicOpeningTour deSkiWorld CupFinalSki TourCanada 1994 21 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 2005 32 8 5 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 26 17 — 2015 42 104 62 75 33 2016 43 — — — — 2017 44 — —
Individual podiums 1 victory – (1 ) 13 podiums – (10 , 3 ) No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1996–97 12 January 1997 Hakuba, Japan 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd2 2000–01 28 December 2000 Engelberg, Switzerland 1.0 km Sprint C World Cup 3rd3 2003–04 25 January 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy 70 km Mass Start C World Cup 2nd4 2004–05 27 November 2004 Rukatunturi, Finland 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd5 12 February 2005 Reit im Winkl, Germany 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd6 2005–06 11 March 2006 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual F World Cup 2nd7 2006–07 7 January 2007 Val di Fiemme, Italy 11 km Pursuit F Stage World Cup 3rd8 2007–08 28 December 2007 – 6 January 2008 Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 3rd9 22 January 2008 Canmore, Canada 15 km + 15 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd10 16 March 2008 Bormio, Italy 15 km Pursuit F World Cup 3rd11 2008–09 4 January 2009 Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km Pursuit F Stage World Cup 3rd12 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 , 5 ) 23 podiums – (15 , 8 ) 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 / Fauner2 1996–97 19 January 1997 Lahti, Finland 12 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Pozzi3 28 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Championships 3rd Fauner / Piller Cottrer / Valbusa4 1998–99 26 February 1999 Ramsau, Austria 4 × 10 km Relay M World Championships 3rd Valbusa / Maj / Fauner5 8 March 1999 Vantaa, Finland Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi6 21 March 1999 Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Fauner / Maj / Valbusa7 1999–00 8 December 1999 Asiago, Italy Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Zorzi8 2000–01 13 December 2000 Clusone, Italy 10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 2nd Zorzi9 2001–02 13 January 2002 Nové Město, Czech Republic 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 2nd Zorzi10 3 March 2002 Lahti, Finland 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi11 2002–03 24 November 2002 Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi12 8 December 2002 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Schwienbacher / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi13 19 January 2003 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Zorzi / Schwienbacher14 26 January 2003 Oberhof, Germany 10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi15 14 February 2003 Asiago, Italy 10 × 1.4 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zorzi16 23 March 2003 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi17 2004–05 21 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi18 12 December 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Valbusa / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi19 20 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Clara / Checchi / Piller Cottrer20 2005–06 15 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi21 2006–07 4 February 2007 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Santus22 2007–08 9 December 2007 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Checchi / Piller Cottrer / Zorzi23 2010–11 6 February 2011 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 List of flag bearers for Italy at the Olympics
References
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