He has a smile on his face and the upward gaze of someone who has big projects in mind. Rocco Baldini represents the new generation of Italian ski mountaineers. A clear talent, the boy born in Sondrio on January 12, 2002, initially divided his time between parish soccer pitches and ski mountaineering outings with his teammates from Polisportiva Albosaggia. The confidence of his coach, the legendary Ivan Murada, and the achievements of his hero Robert Antonioli soon tipped the scales in favor of the sport that had recently become an Olympic discipline.
 
Just like the four-time World Cup winner, Rocco demonstrated from a very young age that he was destined for greatness, finding in the sprint the race that best highlights the power of his engine uphill, his precision in the transitions, and his speed downhill. In this specialty, he won the Italian championships in the cadet category in 2019 and, notably, the first-ever gold for Italy in ski mountaineering at the Winter Youth Olympics (Lausanne 2020). Despite his young age, the experience he gained in the youth category has allowed him to compete with the greats of the ISMF Skimo World Cup in the 2022/2023 season.
 
Beyond skis and boots, Rocco loves all activities that allow him to experience rock and ridges. In the summer, when he isn’t tending the vineyards and fields cultivated by his family, he sets aside his skis to devote himself to mountain running, mountaineering, and climbing. He’s an all-round athlete whose eyes reflect the joy of physical effort and the happiness of those who experience the freedom of life at high elevations.