Alessandro Zanardi picked up in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games right where he left off in the 2012 London games: winning the gold.
BMW brand ambassador Alex Zanardi started the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games with a win in the para-cycling time trial event. Racing for Italy, the 49-year old Zanardi took the H5 category in his handbike.
Zanardi’s time over the 20-kilometer course was 28 minutes, 36.81 seconds, which gave him a 2.7-second win over Australian Stuart Tripp. U.S. paracyclist Oscar Sanchez finished third.
“It has been a long journey, which basically started the day after the London games, when I decided that I would focus on a new horizon in my life and that this would be Rio,” said Zanardi. “You also need to know that the stadium and the facilities in Rio are built where they used to have the IndyCar circuit. I have always been fast on that circuit, but never won a race. So deep inside I thought that this would be another opportunity to correct this and to finally do something in Rio de Janeiro. After the exciting years of preparation and coming here to a course that was not really my kind of course, it is just fantastic to finally enjoy the taste of gold once more.”
Alex continued, “I knew that the course in Pontal was, technically speaking, not in my favor, for many reasons. As such, my trainer and I made a detailed plan of how I should tackle the race and how to pace my effort, and I stuck rigidly to that plan. I have to admit that it was hard when I realized after the first lap that I was only third and almost 20 seconds behind Stuart Tripp, who was leading at that time. But nevertheless I kept cranking, following my plan, executing my project. And I really pulled off a miracle on my second lap: not only I did not slow down, but I actually managed to increase my average power and sprint towards the end. So to win a gold medal by just 2.7 seconds like this is even more tasty than otherwise. I am very, very happy. I am very grateful to all the people who helped me to be here and to enjoy this great achievement today.”
The Rio time trial was Alex’s third paralympic gold medal. He won two golds in London four years ago, as well as a silver medal at those games.
Alex has two more shots at gold in the 2016 Rio Paralympics. He is entered in the road race and the team relay.
Zanardi was a two-time CART champion in the U.S, and also drove Formula One. In 2001 he was involved in a horrible accident at the Lausitzring in Germany in which he lost both legs and very nearly, his life. He battled back and eventually raced for BMW teams in European touring car races, including a number of victories in specially modified hand-control cars. Always a fan favorite, Zanardi brings his passion, dedication, and skill to para-cycling and is continuing his championship ways.—Scott Blazey
Update:
Alessandro Zanardi continued gathering medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. On September 15, 2016, which coincidentally was 15 years to the day after he nearly lost his life in a motor racing accident, Zanardi took the silver medal in the 60-kilometer road race on the date he often refers to as his "second birthday." Alex finished just a few hundredths of a second behind gold medalist Ernst van Dyk of South Africa, even though the finishing time for both was listed as 1 hour, 37 minutes, and 49 seconds.
Alessandro Zanardi finished his 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil just the way he wanted to, with a gold-medal performance for the Italian national handbike team in the team relay.
On Friday, September 16th, Zanardi and his teammates Vittorio Podesta, Luca Mazzone led the para-cycling race early. As the team anchor, Alex crossed the finish line first with a time of 32 minutes and 34 seconds, 47 seconds ahead of the second-place American team. The Belgian team took the bronze medal.
In three days, Zanardi raced in three events and took three medals: two golds and a silver.
“Today was the last day of my Brazilian Paralympic journey and to end it that way with my team, with my mates, was very special. Because sharing makes the joy even greater,” said Zanardi. “To bring home another gold medal is very special and we are going to celebrate tonight.”
Zanardi has now won four paralympic gold medals and two silvers to go with his eight world championships in para-cycling.
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
