Giorgio Di Centa

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.

Di Centa began cross-county skiing very early in a family in which his elder brother Andrea was also a professional skier.

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.

[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.