Celina Seghi

Celina Seghi ( born March 8, 1920 in Abetone ) is a former Italian alpine skier. Seghi was in the 1940s and 1950s, the dominant runner in their country. Between 1937 and 1954 she won 25 Italian league titles in all disciplines. She is still considered as an icon of Italian ski racing.

Biography

Seghi was born in Tuscany and learned to ski in the mountains of Abetone. At the age of 15, she won the downhill title of Italian Junior Champion. The following year she took part in the qualifiers for the Olympic Winter Games in 1936. While they remained in downhill far behind the tip, she went in the slalom behind Paula Wiesinger the second best time. Nevertheless Seghi was not allowed to go to Garmisch- Partenkirchen. The official reason given was their age.

In the Italian championship in 1937 in Selva Seghi then presented for the first time her exceptional talent. All three titles in downhill, slalom and combination went to her. Her first international title she won in 1941 at the World Ski Championships in Cortina d' Ampezzo. In the slalom, she managed to let the German series champion Christl Cranz behind him, and she became world champion. In addition, she won the downhill and in combination with each of the silver medal. However, after the end of World War II she lost titles and medals, because the International Ski Federation (FIS ) decided the outcome of the World Cup 1941 is not to be considered, because many nations due to the political circumstances could not attend.

In the first ski race, which took place again after the war, was Seghi over again. At the Arlberg - Kandahar race they celebrated in 1947 and 1948, two wins each and their reach in the prestigious race in SDS- Grindelwald, Switzerland from 1947 to 1949 also has four victories. In 1948 she traveled as a favorite for the Olympic Winter Games in 1948 in St. Moritz. There she was with expectations but not quite fair. In the descent, and in combination they missed the bronze medal each in short supply and was fourth. In her favorite slalom discipline they only came in 14th

The World Ski Championships 1950 in Aspen there was still the first medal for Seghi. In slalom, she drove in the first run, the second fastest time, but was overtaken in the second round of the Austrian Erika Mahringer and had to settle for bronze. In 1952 she took part in Oslo for a second time at the Olympic Winter Games and was fourth in the slalom at the World Ski Championships 1954 in Åre, Sweden then again ninth in the slalom. Slowly, however, had to bend the younger competition. Ahead of the Winter Olympics in 1956 she took part in the team again internal qualification and also secured an Olympic ticket. However, they refrained, declaring at the age of 35 years her resignation from the national team.

Time of their lives remained Seghi very popular in their homeland. In 2006, she took in Pisa as a guest of honor at the torch relay in part to the Olympic Winter Games in Turin.