The 45-year-old lost both his legs in a horrendous motor racing accident in 2001 that almost killed him and later took up handcycling as part of his rehabilitation programme.

He began to compete in the sport at an elite level as his results improved and then capped a fairy-tale story as he won two Paralympic golds in the men's individual H4 time trial and road race in one of the most emotional moments of the Games.

The stunning performances ironically took place at Brand Hatch in Kent where Zanardi first raced as an F3000 driver 21 years earlier.

"I worked very hard to get here," Zanardi said.

"It was great to live such an experience at 45 years old."

Alex Zanardi competing in the mixed H1-4 relay at the London 2012 Paralympic Games

Zanardi, who is now looking to return to motor racing, narrowly beat Britain's David Weir to the award after the T54 wheelchair racer claimed an astonishing four gold medals at London 2012 in the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 metres, as well as the marathon.

Ireland's T13 sprinter Jason Smyth was third after he retained both his 100 and 200m Paralympic titles in stunning fashion, while Australian swimmer Matt Cowdrey, Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias and Japanese wheelchair tennis player Shingo Kuneida rounded out the top six.

Unlike the usual system where there is an athlete of the month, the IPC awarded a winner for two months due to the London 2012 Paralympics taking place across both August and September.

Japan's Shingo Kuneida was also nominted for the award after claiming gold against France's Stéphane Houdet in the London 2012 men's singles wheelchair tennis

There will also be two separate August-September awards for the best female athlete and the best team, which will be announced shortly.

The best male athlete pool was removed by the IPC one day early due to voting irregularities that have not been divulged.

However, the IPC says it has "used reliable website statistics to determine the winner of the award".

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