Di Centa elates home fans
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Published 26/02/2006 at 12:00 GMT
Giorgio Di Centa claimed the last gold medal of the Olympic cross-country competition on Sunday crossing the line first in the 50km event. The final time gap between Di Centa and second-placed Evgeni Dementiev of Russia was the narrowest in this event in
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING Torino 2006 50 km Giorgio Di Centa
Image credit: Eurosport
Di Centa burst into action on the final stretch and stole 5 metres on Dementiev in silver and Austria's Mikhail Botwinov in bronze place.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256945-24532645-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Giorgio Di Centa
Image credit: Reuters
The Italian put in an exhilarating sprint as he powered home in front of jubilant fans in a time of two hours six minutes and 11.8 seconds and now joins an illustrious 50km winner's list including Bjoern Daehle of Norway, Vladimir Smirnov of Kazakhstan and Sweden's Gunde Svan.
"I really worked hard for every race. I have finished second or third so often. I have never won a World Cup race. And in the end, all the bad luck that I have had in my career is gone, today," said a joyous Di Centa
"That's because of everything was fluent, and went perfectly well. I skied a tactical race. I didn't make a mistake on the last hill as I did in the sprint when I was attacking. This time I waited in 3rd or 4th position because the most important is the final." Said the Olympic champion.
Dementiev did amazingly well, always in the mix throughout the race but saving energy by not taking the reins at the front.
He came from eighth place through to second in the last 150 with a powerful drive and crossed the line eight seconds off the pace.
It wasn't easy for the Russian as the oldest skier in the race, Botwinov, showed the youngster he could still mix it with the best.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256942-24532666-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Mikhail Botwinov
Image credit: Reuters
He gave as good as he got down the final straight and was just edged into the bronze-medal position by a toenail nine seconds off Di Centa's time.
The 38-year old 50km specialist, Botwinov held off and even left behind Pietro Piller Cottrer of Italy and Anders Soedergren of Sweden, both of whom looked extremely dangerous five kilometres from the line.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256894-24532874-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING Torino 2006 50 km Giorgio Di Centa
Image credit: Eurosport
But it was a great sprint finish by Dementiev and Botwinov to fill the podium places that were up for grabs.
The weather conditions were ideal as the blue ribbon cross-country event got underway with supporters lining the course.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256948-24532624-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Pragelato course
Image credit: Reuters
Romania's Zsolt Antal made the first attack on the group just under the hour mark opening up a maximum gap of 26 seconds, but none of the front runners saw this as a threat and later reeled him in after leading the show for 8.2km.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256946-24532638-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Group
Image credit: Reuters
All the favourites were there as the men came into the last 10km loop. Sweden's Anders Soedergren picked up most of the responsibility at the front.
Nobody could really do any damage to the pack until Jiri Magal of the Czech Republic changed gears and picked up the pace.
The Czech's move was brave with the likes of Piller Cottrer, Anders Soedergren and Di Centa all on the front line.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256947-24532631-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 6x1.2 km C Team Sprint - Group
Image credit: Reuters
Piller Cottrer was the first to react and bring the Czech back in but Magal was soon at it again.
Magal made his second attack just minutes later but made a mistake by taking his foot off the accelerator shortly afterwards which allowed the pack to regroup.
By this time Dementiev had made his way through the back of the bunch and dangerously settled for 8th place on the last loop.
Just before they made their way up the penultimate climb it was Piller Cottrer's turn to make his move.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256937-24532701-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Giorgio Di Centa
Image credit: Reuters
The Italian's injection of pace took some skiers by surprise but it was eventually quashed by Magal and once again the pack regrouped.
A FINAL BURST
It looked more likely at this point the attack would come 150 metres from the line, and it did.
Soedergren attacked at the bottom of the final - and most demanding - climb with Piller Cottrer and Di Centa in pursuit but it was France's Vincent Vittoz who burst into action getting to the top of the hill first to make a speedy descent.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256934-24532722-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Giorgio Di Centa
Image credit: Reuters
As the men made it up the light climb towards the finish line the veteran Botwinov - who trains specifically for this event - timed his power drive well and burst into the lead with 200 metres to the line.
The stage for the final sprint was set.
The tempo was too much for Vittoz and Soedergren and both fell off the pace.
Dementiev sprinted out of the pack to move up shoulder to shoulder with the Austrian while Di Centa thrilled onlookers with a cracking display of Stamina and focus to overtake the lot and cross the line first.
Dementiev played the waiting game throughout the race and it paid dividends as he had saved enough energy to battle it out with Botwinov in the last 50 metres to eventually claim the silver medal - his third of the Games.
Botwinov impressed all with his grit and determination. The 50km specialist looked as though he could power round the circuit all day long but never looked as though he had it in him to sprint to bronze.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/02/26/256944-24532652-2560-1440.jpg)
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 50 km F Mst - Podium
Image credit: Reuters
Nevertheless the 38-year old out-sprinted Piller Cottrer and slide onto the podium for his second Olympic medal of his career - he won silver at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 in the 30km event.
CLICK HERE FOR: Olympic diary
CLICK HERE FOR: Olympic diary
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement