Andrea Baldini

Andrea Baldini ( born December 19, 1985 in Livorno ) is an Italian fencer and Olympic champion.

Baldini is a member of the Italian Air Force ( Aeronautica Militare Italiana ) and since 2003 member of the Italian fencing team.

First international successes came as a junior. After a fifth place in 2003 and a sixth place in 2004, he was at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Linz after a final defeat by the Germans Benjamin Kleibrink Vice World Champion.

His achievements he confirmed in 2005 with the gold medal in singles and a silver medal with the team at the Universiade in Izmir and winning the bronze medal in singles, as well as the gold medal with the team at the European Championships in Hungary Zalaegerszeg. Finally, he won at the World Championships in Leipzig after a sixth place in the individual with the Italian foil team the silver medal.

The following year he was at the Grand Prix tournaments in Copenhagen, Venice, St. Petersburg and Caracas each in the finals and reached at the tournaments in Seoul and Cairo for third place. In the autumn of the same year he won the silver medal in singles and a bronze medal with the team at the discharged in Turin World Cup.

In 2007 he was Italian champion. In July he won at the European Championships in Ghent with a win in the final battle against Benjamin Kleibrink his second European Championship title and also won the bronze medal with the team. For the three- months later, taking place in St. Petersburg World Cup he won after a final defeat by Peter Joppich the silver medal in singles. In 2008, Baldini did not participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing, as he has previously tested positive for the diuretic furosemide at a doping test.

After a six- month ban 2009 he won both the Fencing European Championships in Plovdiv in singles, ais well as the World Championships in Antalya in singles and with the team. In 2010, he won the Italian championship with the team at the European Championships in Leipzig singles titles and with the team. At the World Championships the same year in Paris, it was enough to silver with the team. At the European Championships 2011 in Sheffield, he won bronze in singles and gold with the team. In 2012, he won with the team again the gold medal at the European Championships in Legnano. In his first Olympic Games in London, he was Olympic champion with the team, the individual he reached the fourth place. In 2013 he won the European Championship in Zagreb bronze in singles.