Giorgio Di Centa

Giorgio Di Centa (October 7, 1972, Tolmezzo, province of Udine) 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 brother to Olympic gold medalist cross country skier Manuela Di Centa.

Giorgio Di Centa began to practice cross country 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 the Junior team of Italy, practicing for the Carabinieri sport team. In 1995 he entered the Senior team of Italy. He finished 8th in the 30km 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.

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