Zanardi wins gold, 15 years after horror crash

Former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi won his third Paralympic gold medal  a day before the 15th anniversary of the Champ Car crash that cost the Italian both legs and nearly his life. The 49-year-old won the 20km H5 handcycling road time trial in Rio de Janeiro to add to the two golds he won on his Paralympics debut in London four years ago. “Normally I don’t thank God for these type of things as I believe God has more important stuff to worry about,“ he told media at RIO. “But today is too much. I had to raise my eyes and thank him. I feel very lucky , I feel my life is a neverending privilege.“ Zanardi, a two times champion in the USbased Champ Car series that is now IndyCar, competed in 41 grands prix between 1991 and 1999 with his final season at Williams. He had both legs amputated above the knee, with his heart stopping seven times as he lost all but a litre of the blood in his body, after the horrific crash at the Lausitzring in Germany on Sept. 15, 2001.