Italy’s Donato Sabia becomes first Olympian to die of coronavirus

Donato Sabia, Italy’s Two-time Olympic 800 metres finalist, died of coronavirus, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, CONI said that 56-year-old Sabia was in the intensive care unit of the San Carlo hospital on Potenza, for the past few days.

“He is the first Olympic finalist in the world to die of coronavirus,” CONI said in a statement.

The Italian athletics federation (FIDAL further informed that Sabia’s father also died of coronavirus a few days earlier.

The late athlete finished fifth in the 800 metres at Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and seventh in Seoul Olympics four years later.

Sabia won the gold medal in the same event at the European Indoor Championships in 1984.