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