The funeral service will be held today at 2:30 PM in the Chiesa Spirito Santo in Viale Cesare Pavese in Rome.
Gabriele Quirini (44 years old) passed away due to a car accident in the highway between Firenze and Bologna.

As a very young coach of the Italian national team, Gabriele was known as the "coach of the champions", letting the Azzurri win 27 world titles and leading to the highest steps of the podium athletes such as Luca D’Alisera, Dario Betti, Cristina Trani, Luca Lucaroni and Rebecca Tarlazzi.

His life was devoted to his one true passion: Roller Artistic Skating, the discipline that made him one of the most talented ambassadors of this sport. He was recognized and respected also thanks to the numerous stages and seminars held worldwide.

However, he will not be remembered only as the coach that motivated and taught Italian and international athletes: his stubbornness and genius, together with the smile that accompanied us during the World Championships of the past 20 years, will never be forgotten.

Nicola Genchi commented the news: “As World Skate Artistic Technical Commission Chairman and especially as a friend, I would like to thank Gabriele Quirini, one of the greatest people in the history of our discipline. It is extremely difficult avoiding being rhetorical, but the Roller World has lost a very important figure, a coach that still had a lot to give and teach, also in terms of innovations and changes. We can only treasure what he has left: so many high level skaters in different disciplines, numerous medals and successes. Artistic Skating will never be the same without him: he was a person able to shake the spirit of the strongest athletes to their core, pushing them to overcome their limits. I hope that we will all be able to find the strength to grow from this and improve ourselves. This will definitely honor his legacy.”

Sabatino Aracu, World Skate President: “Gabriele was an excellent coach, a valuable friend, a man that we will not forget. He was a pillar of the Roller Artistic Skating community and has greatly contributed to make this discipline achieve the high level that we can all see today, bringing his passion in the rinks all around the World.”

World Skate gives its most heartfelt condolences to his family, athletes and friends.

Goodbye, Gabriele.