Sergio Zardini

Sergio Zardini competed for Italy in bobsledding from the mid-1950s thru 1963, occasionally partnering but more often competing against Eugenio Monti, and winning multiple medals at the World Championships, in addition to his 1964 Olympic silver medal. Zardini piloted the Italian 4-man team that won the 1963 World Championship, and won six silver medals and three bronze medals at the Worlds from 1958-1963. After the 1964 Winter Olympics, Zardini emigrated to Saint Sauveur, Québec, Canada, buying the Avila Ski Center there, and competed there for several years as a Canadian. In 1966 Zardini and Peter Kirby won the North American 2-man title for Canada. A few weeks later, at the Diamond Trophy Four-Man Championships, Zardini was driving a sled on the Mt. Hoevenberg run at Lake Placid, when he lost control on the Zig-Zag turn. His sled flew up the track into the retaining wall of Zag, crushing Zardini’s head against the wall, and killing him instantly.