We could all see it. Until Zanardi showed up at Brands Hatch, 21 years since
he had first raced round there as a motor racing star of the future, home
heroes had been the dominant stories during the Paralympics. But on the
seventh day, we discovered that Oscar Pistorius was going to have a rival as
the international star of the Games.
True, the British
success stories were rolling on. In the pool, 17-year-old Ollie Hynd was
completing his full set of medals, winning the SM8 200m individual medley to
add to his silver and bronze medals, while Sarah Storey’s wonderful Games
hit fresh peaks with her third gold in the C5 road time trial.
Yet, for once, even the great Storey could only be a warm-up act. The tale of
the F1
star who had lost his legs and very nearly his life 11 years ago after a
horror crash in Germany but who had amazingly reinvented himself as a golden
para-cyclist, always had a touch of Tinseltown.
“I know the world has this image of racing drivers getting out of their
private jets just to jump on to their private yacht,” reflects Zanardi.
“And so it’s in human nature that, as well as a lot of admiration for these
people, there’s also some envy.
“And, though I’m not saying people would wish them the worst, when I had my
accident, subconsciously I guess a lot of people deep also said: ‘OK, now I
want to see what you’re going to do’.
“Well, what I did was carry on my life as if nothing had happened. I felt that
the simple fact I was still alive was a great opportunity for me to
investigate new opportunities directly related to my condition.
“And to tell the truth, the things that I’ve done in the 11 years since I
nearly died have been so fascinating and so enjoyable that it would be
really hard if tomorrow morning God appeared and said: ‘I can grant you a
normal life again’ – that is with legs – because that would mean I would
have to give up my life which I feel very comfortable with.”
So it was, reckoned Zanardi, that his triumph in the H4 handcycling time trial
– later in the week, he was also to add another gold in the road race and a
silver in the mixed team relay to his collection – was “as magical, as
unsurpassable as any other experience I ever had when racing cars.”
Especially, as he now reveals, because he had to overcome a near-calamity
during the time trial before winning.
“A few kilometres after the start, my chain fell off, I had a bit of an
argument with it to put it back in place and must have lost about 18 or 19
seconds as I had to stop cranking. There was a moment of panic, I pushed too
hard on the uphill section afterwards and feared I might have lost too much
time.”
He need not have worried, eventually beating his rivals by nearly half a
minute. Amid his celebrations afterwards, he made it sound as if this would
be his last major championship as a hand cyclist and that he would seek new
challenges. Now, he is not so sure.
“My problem is I talk too much and tend to confuse my listeners,” he said with
a laugh. “I said I’d had a magnificent adventure and was a little sad it’s
all over. I didn’t mean it to sound as if it was the end of my cycling
career because I still think I can be competitive at 49 in Rio in four years
time.”
That is if he is not doing something else, of course. “Honestly, I don’t want
to sound like a prima donna but it has become a bit of a job just to say a
kindly no to all the offers I’ve had since the Games.”
One he could not turn down, though, was the chance to drive a specially
adapted BMW, used in the prestigious German touring car DTM series, which
had been painted gold in his honour.
“I was in tears seeing that,” he said. “We did have a conversation about
taking it seriously further on but I decided it would be a little bit too
much for me to be involved full-time for the whole season next year.
“It would mean I wouldn’t have time for things I’d enjoy – like cycling and
fishing with my son – so I decided to wait for the next train.”
It will doubtless be chugging along soon enough for the amazing Zanardi. There
is just one more thing: how did he manage to miraculously prise himself out
of that carbon fibre tricycle shell to start the party on the track?
“I’m a pretty agile disabled person,” he chuckled. “That I have no legs may
look like a very severe handicap but in reality I’m a very lucky person.
“I’m now so strong in my upper body, I can squeeze myself out of the bike.
Basically, it’s like a Cinderella shoe because I’m the only one who can fit
in and I’m the only one who can get out too!”
Long may the great Zanardi’s fairytale continue.
BRITISH MEDALLISTS ON DAY 7
GOLD
- Danielle Brown Archery, individual compound open
- Heather Frederiksen Swimming, S8 100m backstroke
- Sophie Christiansen Dressage, mixed ind freestyle test grade Ia
- David Weir Athetics, T54 1500m
SILVER
- Mel Clarke Archery, individual compound open
- Paul Blake Athletics, T36 400m
- Sophie Wells Dressage, mixed individual freestyle test grade IV
- Deborah Criddle Dressage, mixed individual championship test grade III
- Stephanie Millward Swimming, S9 400m freestyle
BRONZE
- Olivia Breen, Katrina Hart, Jenny McLoughlin and Bethy Woodward Athletics 4 x
100m relay T35-38 - Dan Bentley, Nigel Murray, Zoe Robinson and David Smith Boccia, mixed BC1-2
- Matt Skelhon Shooting, mixed SH1 R6-50m air rifle prone
- Oliver Hynd Swimming S8 100m backstroke
- Ellie Simmonds Swimming S6 50m freestyle
- David Devine Athletics T13 1500m
- Matthew Walker Swimming S7 50m freestyle relay