DECEMBER 17, 2001

Zanardi gets artificial legs

Alex Zanardi has stood up with artificial limbs for the first time since his accident in September.

ALEX ZANARDI has stood up with artificial limbs for the first time since his accident in September. The Italian has still got a long way to go before he will be in a position to walk but he is working full-time towards that goal and is motivated to return to as normal a life as possible.

Zanardi, a two-time CART champion and former Williams F1 driver lost both legs when he spun and was hit side on at 200mph during the American Memorial 500 at the Lausitzring in Germany on September 15. Zanardi's legs were both torn off and he suffered a serious loss of blood but his life was saved in a dramatic rush to hospital in Berlin where surgeons were able to stabilize him.