Back at the 2005 Laureus World Sports Award, it was the inspiring Alessandro Zanardi’s remarkable courage that won him the Comeback of the Year Award.
This was following his return to motor racing having lost both his legs in a horrific crash just four years earlier.
Zanardi receives his award from Teri Hatcher
His 2001 accident in the European Memorial CART race in Lausitz, Germany was one of the worst ever seen.
His car spun coming out of the pits and was hit by another coming down the straight at 200mph. The impact was so great that his vehicle was ripped in two.
Demonstrating incredible commitment and passion, Zanardi returned to motor racing in October 2003 and went on to complete a full season in the European Touring Car championship in 2004.
On his return, he drove a specially adapted car in which the throttle was mounted on the upper part of the steering wheel, the brake pedal was shaped to prevent the driver’s artificial limb from losing grip, whilst the clutch actuated through a button on the gear lever.
Though his return to his sport in this way made him worthy of recognition by the Laureus Academy, Zanardi’s journey following this has gone on to show how inspirational a figure he truly is.
Though he retired from motor racing in 2009, it certainly wasn’t because he was finished with sport altogether.
That’s because he would now focus on the new sport he had adopted since 2007: hand cycling.
From the very start, success came remarkably quickly.
In 2007 he achieved 4th place in the New York City Marathon in the handcycle division after only four weeks of training.
By the end of 2011, however, Zanardi had finally won the New York Marathon at his fourth attempt. He added this first place finish to previous victories at the Venice Marathon in 2009 and the Rome Marathon in 2010.
Perhaps his most exciting achievement of the past year, however, has been his qualifying to race for the Italian team at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Zanardi may be approaching 46 by the time the Games come around later this year, but considering his achievements so far, it’s a safe bet he will be chasing nothing but gold.
Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher scored his first points of the season and finished sixth in the latest round of the DTM touring car championship on the Nuerburgring in Germany.
After three days of hectic interviews, highly competitive golf and racing with the Academy members, a game of football with local children should have been a relaxing way to start the day of the awards – It wasn’t! But then what do you expect when professional sportsmen and women take part, namely Daley Thompson, Butch James, Hugo Porta and Nawal El Moutawakel. Watching the launch of a new Laureus project right here in Abu Dhabi really showcased the work the academy does week in, week out.
Kevin Spacey hosting the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi
1. Liverpool vs Manchester United
Liverpool get their title campaign back on track with a win against their most bitter of rivals in a dramatic 2-0 victory at Anfield. Goals from Fernando Torres and David Ngog seal the win for the Reds.
2. The NFL in London
The NFL returned to Wembley Stadium for the third time in three years as the New England Patriots destroyed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 in front of nearly 90,000 fans.
3. Jensen Button – World Formula One Champion
Jensen Button sealed his first Formula One World Championship in Brazil after leading the Drivers Championship since the beginning of the year. The Brawn driver made it two wins in two years for British drivers after Lewis Hamilton’s win in 2008.
4. Valentino Rossi – World MotoGP Champion
Valentino Rossi won his seventh MotoGP World Championship in Malaysia with one race to spare. The Italian, who many consider the best to ever race motorbikes, finished the race in third place for the Yamaha team.
5. Barcelona lose to Rubin Kazan in Champions League
This week saw one of the biggest shocks ever to take place in the UEFA Champions League as European Champions Barcelona went down 2-1 at home to Rubin Kazan. The Russian Champions are taking place in their first ever Champions League and were virtual unknowns outside of Russia before this season.
1. Guess who? Yes, it’s that man Usain Bolt again, following up his 100m WR with an equally astonishing 200m record of 19.19 seconds.
Bolt’s performance at the world championships has led many journalists and commentators to state that he has now overtaken Woods and Federer as the world’s foremost sportsman. In fact, the only obstacle he now faces is continuing to improve on his own performances. Perhaps that’s why he has turned his eyes to the long jump.
2. England win the Ashes. The England captain Andrew Strauss was deservedly Man of the Series but it was Andrew Flintoff who once again produced one of the iconic moments of the series by running out Ricky Ponting with a bullet throw at the stumps. Even if you’re someone who couldn’t give a monkey’s about cricket, you should be able to appreciate the skill involved in this…
3. If Usain Bolt didn’t exist, Kenenisa Bekele would undoubtedly be the King of Athletics. Read more
