Team Italy - Profile

Italy hosted the first edition of the Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, and has sent a delegation of athletes to each edition of the Games since. One of the NPC's star performers at Rome 1960 was Maria Scutti, who won gold medals in athletics and swimming as well as silver in both wheelchair fencing and table tennis.

One of Italy's most successful Paralympians is Roberto Marson, who secured gold medals in athletics, swimming, and wheelchair fencing between 1964 and 1972. Swimmer Luca Pancalli was a dominant force in the pool, winning gold in breaststroke, freestyle, and butterfly at the 1984 Paralympic Games. Four years later he claimed gold medals in freestyle and breaststroke, but he missed out on the podium in Barcelona 1992 despite competing in five events. A return to form at the 1996 Games in Atlanta saw him claim Paralympic titles in the S4 50m butterfly and the S4 50m backstroke.

Former Formula One racing driver Alex Zanardi has four gold medals in cycling at the Paralympic Games, claiming victory in the H4 time trial and H4 road race at London 2012 and in the H5 time trial and mixed team relay at Rio 2016. Zanardi is a double amputee following a motor racing accident at a track in Germany in 2001, and was one of three Italians to win two gold medals in cycling at the 2016 Games. His teammates in the mixed team relay, Luca Mazzone and Vittorio Podesta, also secured victory in the H2 time trial and the H3 time trial, respectively.