Alex Zanardi rides to an emotional gold
OF ALL the moving moments the Paralympic Games have produced, none will surely have eclipsed Alex Zanardi’s gold medal at Brands Hatch yesterday.
Britain’s Sarah Storey won her third cycling gold of these Games at the famous Kent racing circuit – but not even the most patriotic of home fans would deny the day belonged to Zanardi.
The former Formula One driver, who lost both legs after a crash in 2001, was back on the track where he used to race cars to win the handcycling time-trial after blitzing the 16km course in 24mins 50.22secs, more than 27 seconds ahead of German Norbert Mosandl, with American Oscar Sanchez taking bronze.
“I’ve had a magical adventure and this is a fantastic conclusion,” said 45-year-old Italian Zanardi, who had to have his legs amputated following a near-fatal accident in Champ Car racing in Germany. “This is a great accomplishment, one of the greatest of my life.”
Zanardi, who first stood on the podium at Brands Hatch as a 24-year-old after finishing second in a Formula 3000 race, added: “I worked very hard to get here. It was great to live such an experience at 45.
When you are 20, you appreciate medals. When you are 40, you appreciate what you do every day
“When you are 20, you appreciate medals. When you are 40, you appreciate what you do every day.”