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Marianna Longa

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Marianna Longa
Marianna Longa in 2010
Country Italy
Born (1979-08-26) 26 August 1979 (age 45)
Tirano, Italy
Ski clubG.S. Fiamme Gialle
World Cup career
Seasons11 – (20002005, 20072011)
Starts134
Podiums9
Wins1
Overall titles0 – (6th in 2009)
Discipline titles0
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing  Italy
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2009 Liberec 10 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Liberec Team sprint
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Canmore 4 × 5 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Saafelden 5 km classical

Marianna Longa (born 26 August 1979 in Tirano) is an Italian cross-country skier from Livigno. She started her professional career in 1997, and her first appearance in a world cup race was on 17 March 2000 in Bormio. Longa is currently part of the Fiamme Gialle, and the Italian cross-country national team. Longa is also a strong runner. She retired from cross-country skiing after the 2010–11 season.

Biography

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Early life

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In the early ages she excelled in all the major national, and international races. She approached the professional level at the age of 18, in 1997. In her first year, she obtained ninth place in the 5 km freestyle, at the 1997 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Canmore, Canada.

In 1999, she achieved a podium position at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Saalfelden, Austria with a 3rd place in the 5 km C, a race where athletes like Marit Bjørgen, Petra Majdič, and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen were also competing. Longa also earned great results in the Continental Cup, including the win at the 5 km classical stage in Candanchu, Spain where she preceded Majdič|.

World Cup debut

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Between 2000 and 2001 she was competing in both the Continental Cup, and the World Cup. The top result was a second position in the 5 km classical in Schonach, Germany in the Continental Cup. She ended the 2001 season in 85th position in the overall World Cup standings.

Winter Olympics and World Ski Championships Debuts

In the 2002 Winter Olympics, in Salt Lake City, at the age of 22, she obtained 6th position in the 4 × 5 km relay, and a 20th position in the 10 km classical. She ended the 2002 season in 80th position in the World Cup overall standings

In the 2003 World Ski Championships, in Val di Fiemme, she finished 7th in the 4 × 5 km relay and 11th in the 15 km C Mass start. Longa ended the 2003 season in 51st position in the world cup overall standing achieving a 7th place in the 10 km classical mass start as top result.

Pregnancy and return to competitions 2004 - 2008

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Between the 2004 and 2006 she did not obtain major results as a consequence of her pregnancy, announced in February 2005. In the 2007 World Ski Championship, in Sapporo, Japan, she obtained eight position in the 15 km M Pursuit, and sixth in the 4 × 5 km relay. The best individual result in 2007 is fifth place in the 10 km classical in Otepaeae, Estonia. She ended the season with an overall 19th position in the world cup standing. In March 2007, she retired, at the end of her best world cup season so far. Although the decision to retire, taken one year earlier, Longa gave her come back already in March 2008.

Longa had a brilliant start on returning to competition, with a fifth place on the 10 km classical World Cup in Lathi, Finland. The 2008 also brought a fourth place on the 10 km classical, and a fifth place on the 10 km freestyle pursuit in the World Cup Finals in Bormio. In the summer of 2008 she also competed in roller skiing races to speed-up her recovery, obtaining a victory, two seconds and a fourth place.

From 2009

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On 30 January 2009 she won her first world cup race in Rybinsk, Russia on the 10 km F Mass start. A month after, she won two medals at the 2009 FIS Nordic World Ski Championship in Liberec with a silver in the 10 km C and bronze in the team sprint C event. She finished the 2009 season in sixth position in the overall World Cup Standings.

In the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she earned fourth place in the relay 4 × 5 km relay, seventh place in the 15 km pursuit, and eleventh in the 30 km classical. She ended the 2010 World Cup season in ninth position in the overall standings, with the major World Cup results of a third in Lahti in the 4 × 5 km relay, and a fourth place in the 10 km classical in Rukatunturi, Finland

In January 2011 she obtained third place in the 2010-11 Tour de Ski, arriving third on the final climb finish in Val di Fiemme, following Justyna Kowalczyk and Therese Johaug. The 2011 season brought several good results in all the different disciplines, with a total of six podium positions in World Cup races, and three podium positions in Stage World Cup races.

2011 World Championships, Oslo

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Longa did not compete at the starting race in the world championship, the sprint won by Marit Bjørgen. She took start at the 15 km pursuit and finished 5th, following Bjørgen, Justyna Kowalczyk, Therese Johaug and Charlotte Kalla. At the 10 km classical she finished seventh. Longa also participated at the Team Sprint, completing the Italian team together with Arianna Follis. They secured the fourth position, following in order of Sweden, Finland and Norway. In the relay 4 × 5 km relay, together with Follis, Antonella Confortola and Silvia Rupil, Longa secured the fourth position, with a start that saw her in the first place after her fraction. On the last race, the 30 km, she obtained the eight position in a spectacular day, where Johaug offered an outstanding performance securing the gold medal ahead of Bjørgen and Kowalczyk.

Cross-country skiing results

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All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[1]

Olympic Games

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 Year   Age   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
2002 22 20 33 6
2010 30 18 7 11 4

World Championships

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  • 2 medals – (1 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
2003 23 20 11 7
2007 27 8 19 39 6
2009 29 Silver 4 9 5 Bronze
2011 31 7 5 8 4 4

World Cup

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Season standings

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 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Nordic
Opening
Tour de
Ski
World Cup
Final
2000 20 NC NC
2001 21 85 59
2002 22 80 57
2003 23 51
2004 24 55 38
2005 25 69 45
2007 27 19 13 51 15
2008 28 34 26 51 5
2009 29 6 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 20 5 13
2010 30 9 10 26 8 16
2011 31 7 4 13 8 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) DNF

Individual podiums

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  • 1 victory – (1 WC)
  • 9 podiums – (5 WC, 4 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1  2008–09  17 January 2009 Canada Whistler, Canada 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
2 30 January 2009 Russia Rybinsk, Russia 10 km Mass Start F World Cup 1st
3 14 February 2009 Italy Valdidentro, Italy 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
4  2009–10  9 January 2010 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 3rd
5  2010–11  1 January 2011 Germany Oberhof, Germany 10 km Pursuit C Stage World Cup 3rd
6 6 January 2011 Italy Toblach, Italy 15 km Pursuit F Stage World Cup 3rd
7 8 January 2011 Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km Mass Start C Stage World Cup 3rd
8 31 December 2010
– 9 January 2011
GermanyItaly Tour de Ski Overall Standings World Cup 3rd
9 4 February 2011 Russia Rybinsk, Russia 5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd

Team podiums

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  • 1 victory – (1 RL)
  • 6 podiums – (5 RL, 1 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
1  2003–04  7 February 2004 France La Clusaz, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Paruzzi / Confortola / Valbusa
2  2009–10  7 March 2010 Finland Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Confortola / Valbusa / Follis
3  2010–11  21 November 2010 Sweden Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Genuin / Rupil / Follis
4 19 December 2010 France La Clusaz, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd De Martin Topranin / Rupil / Follis
5 16 January 2011 Czech Republic Liberec, Czech Republic 6 × 1.3 km Team Sprint C World Cup 2nd Genuin
6 6 February 2011 Russia Rybinsk, Russia 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Genuin / Rupil / Follis

References

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  1. ^ "LONGA Marianna". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
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