MILAN, April 8 — Italy’s former European indoor champion Donato Sabia has died from coronavirus aged 56, days after the pandemic claimed the life of his father, the Italian athletics federation (Fidal) announced today.

Sabia won 800m gold at the 1984 championships in Gothenburg, and finished fifth and seventh at the distance at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics respectively.

He had been hospitalised in intensive care for some days in his native Potenza, in the southern Basilicata region.

"A tragedy within a tragedy, Donato was a person you couldn’t help but love,” said Fidal president Alfio Giomi confirming Sabia’s death days after that of his father from Covid-19.

Sabia was president of Fidal’s regional committee in Basilicata.

Over 17,000 people have died in Italy as a result of the virus, but Sabia’s death was only the 15th recorded in Basilicata. — AFP