Probe opens into double deaths of two marathon runners

 ROME – Two marathon runners, aged 39 and 48, from the same team died within days of each other, leading to two public prosecutors’ offices opening an investigation into doping, Il Messaggero reported.

 The two marathon runners named as Anna Zilio, 39, and Alberto Zordan, 48, both ran for Team Km Sport, based in Verona.

 Zilio was found dead in her Verona apartment on Oct. 13 and three weeks later, on Nov. 2, Zordan was found dead in his house in Sovizzo, Vicenza by his wife. Both were deemed to have passed away in their sleep unexpectedly as both were in good health.

 These two sudden deaths have led to the public prosecutors’ offices of Verona and Vicenza to open investigations into their passings, as there is suspicion of doping being the reason behind their unexplained deaths.

 Both runners had the same coach, Dario Meneghini, who was Zilio’s former boyfriend. The two had left their previous team to join him as part of Team Km Sport.

 Meneghini, 39, said to Il Messaggero that he was “shaken” and did “not want to add anything else.”

 Emanuele Marchi, leader of Km Sport, maintained that both runners had good health records and that the team “abides by the rules.”

 khg