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Italian Olympic 800m finalist Donato Sabia dies from Covid-19 aged 56

Two-time Olympic finalist’s father also died from the virus

Italy’s Donato Sabia (#520) in action during the 800m final at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics at the Memorial Coliseum, where he finished fifth. Also pictured are Brazil’s Joaquim Cruz (#93) on his way to winning gold, Britain’s Sebastian Coe (#359), who took silver, and Earl Jones (#903), who won bronze. Photograph: Tony Duffy/Getty Images
Wed Apr 08 2020 - 20:16

Twice Olympic 800 metres finalist Donato Sabia has died from Covid-19 at the age of 56, the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) said on Wednesday.

Coni said in a statement that Sabia had been in the intensive care unit of the San Carlo hospital on Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, for “a few days”.

Sabia finished fifth in the 800 metres at Los Angeles in 1984 and seventh in Seoul four years later. He won the gold medal in the same event at the European Indoor Championships in 1984.

According to Coni, he is the first Olympic finalist in the world to die from the virus.

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The Italian athletics federation (Fidal), which described him as “an extraordinarily talented athlete but, above all, a gentle person”, said that Sabia’s father had also died from Covid-19 a few days earlier.

"It's a tragedy within a tragedy," said Fidal president Alfio Giomi in a statement. "Donato was a person who you couldn't not love."

CoronavirusAlfio GiomiDonato Sabia