Alex Zanardi, motor racing champion who won Paralympic gold amid life-changing accident, dies aged 59
Listen to this article
Average 5 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
Alex Zanardi, the Italian racing champion turned Paralympic gold medalist whose career was marked by two life-changing accidents, has died. He was 59 years old.
Zanardi’s family announced his death on Saturday, saying he passed away on Friday night.
“Alex died peacefully, surrounded by the love of those close to him,” the family said in a statement without giving the cause of his death.
In 2020, Zanardi was seriously injured in a hand bike accident after crashing into an oncoming truck during a consignment event in Tuscany. Zanardi suffered severe facial and skin injuries in the accident and was placed in a medically induced coma.
About 20 years earlier, Zanardi lost both legs in a car racing accident.
“Italy is losing a great champion and an extraordinary man, able to turn every challenge of life into a lesson of courage, strength, and dignity,” said Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni to X.
“Alex Zanardi knew how to bounce back every time, facing the most difficult challenges with determination, clarity, and extraordinary spirit,” Meloni wrote. “With his success in sports, with his example, and with his personality, he gave us everything more than victory: he gave us hope, pride, and the strength to never give up hope. On behalf of myself and the government, I extend my heartfelt thoughts and sincere closeness to his family and to all who loved him. Thank you for everything, Alex.”
Zanardi won two championships in CART – 1997 and 1998 – in the United States before briefly returning to Formula One. He returned to America and was racing in Germany at the CART event in 2001 when both of his legs were amputated in a horrific accident the weekend after the September 11th attacks. CART only raced because the series was already in Germany at the time of the attack and could not return to the US
During his recovery, Zanardi designed his own prosthetics – he joked that he made himself taller – and learned to walk again. He then focused on hand cycling and developed into one of the most successful athletes in the world. He won four gold and two silver medals at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, ran the New York City Marathon and set an Ironman record.
Almost 15 years to the day he broke his legs in a motor racing accident in Germany, Alex Zanardi captured the gold medal on Wednesday.
When he won the 2012 Paralympic race at Britain’s Brands Hatch circuit where he competed as a young driver, Zanardi celebrated the full-circle moment by holding his bike aloft with one hand as he sat on the track.
His spirit, will, and determination gave the lovable Italian a larger-than-life personality. When he returned to the US in 2019 to compete for BMW at the Rolex 24 of Daytona without his prosthetics, he was the most respected driver in a field that included F1 champion Fernando Alonso.
Drivers from around the world seek out Zanardi for photos and are distracted as he tells detailed stories about his adventures nearly two decades since most saw him.
Zanardi used specially modified cars with manual gas and brake controls to race again after the 2001 crash, winning races in various series.
Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1, said he was “deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend,” calling Zanardi “a truly inspirational person, both as a person and as an athlete.”
“He faced challenges that would have stopped anyone, yet he continued to look forward, always smiling and with a stubborn determination that inspired us all,” said Domenicali. “While his loss is deeply felt, his legacy remains strong.”
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said of X that Zanardi’s racing career and “journey from life-changing accident to gold medal at the Paralympics has made him one of the sport’s most respected competitors and an enduring symbol of courage and determination.”
Noted for his infectious smile and good storytelling, Zanardi was praised by Pope Francis after his 2020 crash as an example of strength in the midst of adversity. Francis wrote a handwritten letter of encouragement assuring Zanardi and his family of his prayers.
Zanardi’s family added that they “thank everyone for their support right now and ask for respect during this time of mourning.”
Funeral details are yet to be announced, the family said.
The Italian Olympic Committee has called for a minute’s silence at all sporting events in Italy over the weekend in honor of Zanardi.
Zanardi, who was born in Bologna, is survived by his wife, Daniela, and son, Niccolò.
