Family reported that the para-athlete left ‘suddenly’, but also ‘peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family and friends’; cause of death was not disclosed
Alex Zanardithe Italian racing driver who became paralympic cycling champion after losing both legs in an accident, died at age 59, announced his family this Saturday (2).
Zanardi, one of his country’s most beloved and respected athletes who is credited with helping transform perceptions of disability in Italy, passed away on Friday night.
In a statement released through the charitable association he founded, Obiettivo3, his family reported that he left “suddenly”but also “peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family and friends.”
His death occurs six years after the four-time Paralympic champion suffered a second serious accident, in June 2020, when his handbike collided with a truck traveling in the opposite direction during a race in Tuscany.
Before that, Zanardi competed in Formula 1 for the Jordan, Minardi and Lotus teams in the early 1990s, before moving to the Championship Auto Racing Team (CART) in the United States, where he was category champion in 1997 and 1998.
He returned to Formula 1 with Williams in 1999, before returning to CART.
Zarandi almost lost his life in a terrible accident in 2001 at the Lausitzring circuitin Germany, which resulted in the amputation of both legs.
His car stopped in the middle of the road after spinning and was hit by another vehicle traveling at more than 300 km/h. Despite this, the athlete, born in Bologna on October 23, 1966, became one of the most renowned figures in Paralympic sport, winning two gold medals at the London Games in 2012 and another two in Rio four years later.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Zanardi as “a great champion and an extraordinary man, capable of transforming every challenge in life into a lesson in courage, strength and dignity.”
Cordiano Dagnoni, president of the Italian Cycling Federation, said Zanardi “transformed the culture of our country, bringing joy and happiness to those who were lucky enough to know him, and hope to so many in Italy and around the world.”
Dagnoni added that a minute of silence will be observed at this weekend’s races, in honor of the athlete.
