Premier Matteo Renzi on
Thursday hailed Emilia native Alex Zanardi for his Paralympics
exploits at the Festa dell'Unità in Modena.
Former racing driver Zanardi, 49, who lost his legs in a
CART crash in 2001, won a gold and silver in the Rio handbike
events, just one short of London 2012 when he won two golds.
Renzi told the Emilian crowd: "In these days, one from your
region is lighting up Rio de Janeiro: Alex Zanardi.
"To him and to others like (wheelchair foil gold medallist)
Bebe Vio, I should like our embrace to arrive.
"This is proof that there is a great Italian history of
those who succeed," said the can-do premier.
"To me, those who always say everything is going wrong give
a message of no-confidence".
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