(FILES) Water flies off Italian CART driver Alex Zanardi's wheels as he rounds the 10th corner of the Long Beach Grand Prix course during a practice session in Long Beach, California on April 7, 2001. Alex Zanardi, the Italian racing car driver who became a Paralympic cycling champion after losing both legs in an accident, has died aged 59, his family announced on May 2, 2026. Zanardi, one of his country's most loved and respected sportsmen, who as credited with helping transformed the perception of disability in Italy, died on the evening of May 1. (Photo by SCOTT NELSON / AFP via Getty Images)