Ricardo Rolle, the husband of renowned Cuban athlete Ana Fidelia Quirós, has passed away in Italy, as reported on Friday by sports journalist Julita Osendi. On her Facebook profile, Osendi shared that Rolle, an Italian entrepreneur, had a 26-year-long relationship with the "Caribbean Storm" after they first met in 1997 at the International Trade Fair in ExpoCuba.
Rolle and Quirós, previously known as Quirot, built a family together and had two children, Carla Fidelia and Alberto. Recalling their first encounter, the legendary athlete shared, "I met my husband in 1997 at ExpoCuba during the International Trade Fair held in November. We Cuban athletes were representing Adidas, promoting the brand in their stand. He came by, asked for my autograph, invited me for coffee, and suggested I visit his stand where he showcased his products. That's how we began to know each other, and we've been together for 26 years."
Osendi did not specify the cause of Rolle's death but mentioned that he suffered from a "cruel disease" that rapidly deteriorated his health. In a May interview with CiberCuba, Quirós expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank God I found a wonderful man with whom I've built a family: my eldest daughter, Carla Fidelia, was born on the day of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Cuba's patroness. She studied classical ballet and was a dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba. Currently, she's attending acting school in Spain; she's 24, studying and working. The youngest, Alberto, is 23, studied accounting, and is now pursuing business administration despite his passion for sports, having completed courses as a physical trainer. He lives in Italy with his father, while I split my time between there and here in Cuba, as my mother is elderly and, despite being in good health, has reached an advanced age.
Julita, my two children, whom you saw born at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Vedado, are my two Olympic gold medals. Can you imagine better medals?"