Nilo Zandanel competed at the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Winter Games as a ski jumper. He also carried the Italian flag at the Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Cortina Winter Games, but he did not compete there. Zandanel was a four-time Italian ski jumping champion, winning in 1959-60, 1965, and 1967. He was also runner-up at the Italian Championships five times, in 1957-58, 1961, 1964, and 1966. He also added a bronze medal in Nordic combined at the 1958 Italian Nordic Championships. Zandanel placed third in the Four Hills Tournament (Vierschanzentournee) in 1960/61. He competed at the 1962 World Championships, placing 28th. On 16 February 1964 Zandanel set a ski flying world record with 144 metres in Oberstdorf, Germany. He competed for GS Fiamme Gialle in Roma.