Gabriella Paruzzi

Gabriella Paruzzi ( born June 21, 1969 in Udine ) is an Italian former cross-country skier.

It is to this day the only Italian athlete who for five consecutive Olympics 1992 - each won a medal in 2006. Four times she reached the bronze medal 1992, 1994, 1998 and 2006 with the season and even individual gold in 2002 over 30 km classic in front of her compatriot Stefania Belmondo.

At the World Championships, she never won an individual medal, but with the season three silver medals in 1991, 1993 and 1999 and twice in 2001 and 2005 bronze.

In her career Paruzzi developed by an average successful athlete to a world class athlete. In her early years she was the number three in the Italian team behind Manuela Di Centa and Stefania Belmondo. They merely regarded as reliable Season runner, successes in individual remained out first. Only at the age of 33 years Paruzzi won the Olympic gold medal and decided in the season 2003/ 04 surprisingly the overall World Cup before Marit Bjørgen for themselves. In her career, she was able to celebrate six World Cup victories (two of the season ) before she resigned in 2006 from professional sports.