Overview
- Zanardi’s family said Friday night that he died suddenly at 59 and asked for privacy as they mourn.
- He rose from a career in Formula 1 and CART to dominate handcycling, winning 12 world titles and six Paralympic medals across London 2012 and Rio 2016.
- The 2001 crash at Germany’s Lausitzring led to the amputation of both legs, after which he returned to sport and public life with a candid, often humorous voice on disability.
- In June 2020 his handbike collided with a truck in Tuscany, causing severe head and facial trauma, followed by long hospital stays and rehabilitation while living under continuous care in Padua.
- Italian authorities closed the 2020 crash inquiry in July 2021 with no charges, as tributes now pour in from across sport, including Bebe Vio’s message crediting him as a mentor and President Sergio Mattarella’s praise.