Ottavio Cinquanta has left us. A long-time ice sports executive in the 1950s, he was born on 15 August 1938 in Rome, graduated in business administration with a focus on management and marketing, and was a company manager in the chemical industry. After practising athletics, he took up ice hockey and later speed skating. Already in the early 1970s, he embarked on a career in sports management.

President of the Technical Committee (1973-1980), then Vice-President of the Italian Ice Sports Federation (1984-1988); appointed international referee at numerous World Championships and Olympic Winter Games. He was a member and President of the Technical Committee of the International Skating Union (ISU) (1975-1992); member (1975-1992), Vice-President (1992-1994) then President (1994-2016) of the International Skating Federation (ISU) itself, of which he has remained Honorary President since 2016.

He was a Member of the IOC, in the International Federation quota, from 1996 to 2016 (as a Member of the CONI National Council and Board). He took part in the IOC Executive Committee as an International Winter Federation representative (2000-2008) and was a member of the following IOC Commissions: Olympic Movement (1994-1999), Olympic Solidarity (1994-2001), Coordination for the XIX Olympic Winter Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City (1996-2002), 'IOC 2000' (Executive Committee, 1999), Marketing (2002-), TV Rights and New Media (2002-2015), Follow-up of the 'IOC 2000' reform (2002) Coordination of the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 in Vancouver (2003-2010), Coordination of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi (2007-2014), Coordination of the 1st Olympic Winter Youth Games in 2012 in Innsbruck (2009-2012), Coordination of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in 2018 in PyeongChang (2011- 2018).

His management of the International Federation was responsible for introducing short track into the Olympic programme and reforming jury evaluations in figure skating.

Upon hearing the news, CONI President Giovanni Malagò called for a minute's silence in the National Council and Board and expressed his deep condolences to the family, also on behalf of all Italian sport, for the loss of a great leader who had given so much to the development of sport and prestige in the international arena.