Celina Seghi

Who is Celina Seghi?

Celina Seghi is a former Italian alpine skier. Born in Abetone, she was the youngest child in a family of nine and earned her first Italian championship medal, a bronze in the slalom, in 1934. In 1937 she earned three national titles, her first victories at that level, by winning the slalom, downhill, and combined events. In total she won a total of 25 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze medals at the Italian National Championships: gold seven times, silver thrice, and bronze twice in the downhill, gold and silver once each in the giant slalom, gold ten times, silver twice, and bronze once in the slalom, and gold seven times in the combined.

On the international level Seghi won gold in the slalom and silver in the combined event at the 1941 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, but the results of the tournament were nullified by the International Ski Federation due to the limited participation from only German-friendly nations. She resumed skiing after World War II and next appeared at the 1948 Winter Olympics, where she finished fourth in both the women's downhill and combined, and joint-fourteenth in the slalom. In 1950 she captured her only recognized World Championship medal, bronze in the women's slalom, and two years later participated in the 1952 Winter Olympics, finishing fourth in the women's slalom, seventh in the giant slalom, and joint-fifteenth in the downhill. She retired from active competition in 1956, shortly before the 1956 Winter Olympics, married a surgeon in 1970, and moved to Pistoia, where she continued to ski into her 90s.