Alex Zanardi, auto racing champion who won Paralympic gold after life-altering accidents, dies at 59

NewsWorldEuropeAlex Zanardi, auto racing champion who won Paralympic gold after life-altering accidents, dies at 59Italian auto racing champion-turned-Paralympic gold medalist Alex Zanardi has died at 59Andrew Dampf Saturday 02 May 2026 12:15 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"99d36ea9798b04c6e26fb688514464d5","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/alex-zanardi-giorgia-meloni-rome-italian-stefano-domenicali-b2969411.html","title":"Alex Zanardi, auto racing champion who won Paralympic gold after life-altering accidents, dies at 59"}}Alex Zanardi, auto racing champion who won Paralympic gold after life-altering accidents, dies at 59Show all 5{"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","className":"","title":"Alex Zanardi, auto racing champion who won Paralympic gold after life-altering accidents, dies at 59","gallery":[{"data":{"title":"CAR Obit Zanardi","description":"FILE - Alex Zanardi, smiles after winning the silver medal in the men's road race H5, during the 2016 Paralympics Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 15, 2016, (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel, File)","caption":"CAR Obit Zanardi","copyright":"Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.","credit":"ASSOCIATED PRESS","alt":null,"url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/05/02/12/CAR_Obit_Zanardi_27241.jpg","id":"e1e52297e2364f42b6eb23024a114243","mid":6653194,"uid":0,"smartframe":null,"extra":{"imageSize":{"width":3400,"height":2267}}},"type":"image"},{"data":{"title":"CAR Obit Zanardi","description":"FILE - Alessandro Zanardi of Italy celebrates holding his gold medal following the medal ceremony for the man's road cycle individual time trial H4 category at the 2012 Paralympics games, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, at Brands Hatch motor racin...