Marta Bassino, the middle daughter of three siblings, was born on February 27th, 1996, in Cuneo. She began skiing at the age of two, guided by her father, who has been her coach for over ten years. Even today, he continues to accompany her on her journey, providing advice and support. From a young age, Marta captured the attention of coaches and skiing experts due to her exceptional talent and unique skiing style. She effortlessly glides through the snow, creating lines that others struggle to replicate. Surprisingly, Marta achieves this without possessing a muscular physique typically associated with top skiers. In fact, this perceived disadvantage quickly became an advantage for her.
Marta’s love for snow and skiing didn’t come immediately. It wasn’t because she disliked the sport, but rather due to her aversion to the cold. She often describes herself as a lizard always seeking the warmth of the sun. Additionally, the early mornings took some time for her to adjust to. Fortunately, in her family, sports were primarily about having fun. During her childhood, she was introduced to various activities such as athletics, tennis (which she still includes in her regular workout and preparation program), diving, and gymnastics. Thanks to this diverse background, she learned how to understand and respect her own body while developing a keen spatial awareness. This allowed her to acquire an impressive combination of agility and strength.
No matter what sport she practices, Marta is always ready to compete and consistently manages to excel. But gradually, it becomes evident that her “extra gear” is truly expressed on the snowy slopes: coaches are astonished to see the naturalness and speed with which she learns the technique, the sensitivity with which she handles the equipment, and the “ability to improvise” with which she manages, each time, to trace the ideal trajectories on the slopes.
She competed with the “Val Vermenagna” ski club until the age of 15. In 2011, she was then selected to join the “Alpi Occidentali” (Western Alps) regional team of the Italian Skiing Federation, FISI.
During the 2011-2012 season, she caused a sensation by winning three titles at the junior National Championships. Widely recognized as an exceptional talent, she was immediately promoted to the B-national squad and made her debut in the European Cup. She achieved good results right away, such as a 12th and 16th place in two downhill races held at Sankt Anton im Arlberg.
In the 2012-2013 season, Marta participated in the World Junior Championship in Le Massif, Canada, where she secured a 6th place in the downhill event, being the only athlete born in 1996 to make it into the top 10. In 2013, she was also recruited by the Italian Army skiing team (C.S. Esercito), which allowed her to pursue her passion professionally.
Continuing her journey in the B-national squad for the 2013-2014 season, Marta improved her performances in the European Cup, achieving several top-ten rankings and ultimately securing 1st and 2nd places on the Sestriere Olympic track. During the same season, she also participated in the World Junior Championship in Jasna, Slovakia, where she became the giant slalom champion. This success earned her the opportunity to make her debut in the 2014 World Cup Finals at Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Recognizing her outstanding performances, the Italian Federation decided to grant her a permanent spot in the main squad for the 2014-2015 World Cup season. Marta continued to impress with multiple top 10 and top 20 rankings, and she also made her debut in the 2015 World Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek, USA. She finished in 22nd place in the World Cup Giant Slalom standings. In July 2015, she also graduated from Limone Piemonte Sport High School.
Marta has made significant progress over the past few seasons, gaining a better understanding of herself and her aspirations. As she became a permanent member of the Italian squad for the World Cup, her confidence grew gradually. Each season served as a valuable learning opportunity, enhancing her skiing skills, physical abilities, and, perhaps most importantly, her mental strength.
During the 2015-2016 season, Marta consistently achieved top-ten finishes in the World Cup, not only in giant slalom but also in alpine combined and downhill events. She finished 45th overall in the World Cup and 13th in the giant slalom classification. From 2016 to 2019, Marta continued to improve, securing her first World Cup podiums, primarily in giant slalom, but also in alpine combined. She refined her performances across various disciplines. In her debut appearance at the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang 2018, Marta finished 5th in giant slalom, vigorously competing for a medal throughout the race. Although there were occasional setbacks, Marta always approached them positively, recognizing them as opportunities for learning and growth.
In the 2019-2020 season, Marta finally hit her stride, clinching her first World Cup victory in the giant slalom event at Killington. She reached the podium in five different disciplines, making her the first Italian skier to achieve such remarkable results. Marta concluded the season in 5th place overall in the World Cup standings and 4th in the giant slalom classification. The subsequent 2020-2021 season marked Marta’s definitive breakthrough, as she dominated the giant slalom events, comfortably winning the World Cup trophy. Additionally, she secured the gold medal in the parallel event at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Two years later, in 2022-2023, she repeats the world championship success, this time winning the super-G world title on the slopes of Courchevel-Meribel. She also fights once again for the Giant Slalom World Cup, ultimately finishing in third place in an ultra-competitive field.
But Marta refuses to settle for her current accomplishments. She is determined to maintain her momentum, continuously learning how to deal with races, competitiveness, fan expectations, personal aspirations, and her own physical well-being.
Marta is definitely on the “to-watch” list in ski racing, thanks to her incredible talent, driven ambition, strength of will, and seriousness on the slopes. Her down-to-earth nature and natural charm also contribute to her growing popularity among fans.
During the off-season, Marta leads a relatively normal life as a girl in her 20s. She resides in Borgo San Dalmazzo, located in the Province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. Her main hobbies include reading books, hiking in the mountains, spending time with family and friends, and riding motorcycles.