Farewell to Riccardo Agabio, historic leader of Italian gymnastics

Prato, March 15, 2025 – He died Richard Agabio, 89 years old, president of the Gymnastics Federation for many years (from 2000 to 2016).

Born in Cagliari, but Tuscan by adoption: he moved to Prato in 1981 for love and here he remained. He leaves his wife Adriana Biagiotti, already an Azzurra and absolute champion of artistic gymnastics in the years 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967, and three children who, in turn, gave him many grandchildren. But it is the Italian gymnastics the large extended family of the honorary president of the FGI who today mourns him, accusing him of "an unfillable void in at least four generations, descended, literally, from his professional teaching", as can be read in the Federation's press release.

The Ancri section of Prato of the Medallists of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic also remembers him; in fact Agabio was Grand Officer.

This is what Federginnastica remembers him: “His father, who was also called Riccardo, introduced him to gymnastics, after graduating in physical education and sports from Isef in Rome in 1958 with 110 cum laude. Magnesia dust was in his blood and he took his first steps in the historic SG Amsicora of Cagliari testified to all his talent. Later, having moved to the continent, he trained in the capital, at SG Roma, where he would later be the sporting director for several years. Also in Rome he founded Sg Flaminio, of which he was president from 1963 to 1981. In 1952 he won the Junior Absolute Championships in Chiavari and the following year he received his first call-up to the national team, making his debut at the 1954 World Championships in Rome. He made numerous appearances for the Italian national team: among the most notable are the one at the Mediterranean Games in Barcelona in 1955, when the Italian team won the gold medal, and the one at the European Championships in Paris in 1957. His competitive career ended in 1961, with the only disappointment of not having taken part, due to injury, in the 60 Olympic Games, despite being on the shortlist of Swiss coach Jack Günthard, together with Franco Menichelli, Giovanni Carminucci, Angelo Vicardi, Pasquale Carminucci, Orlando Polmonari, Gianfranco Marzolla and Arrigo Carnoli. After hanging up his braces, his subsequent career as a coach was equally meteoric: first as head of the women's national artistic team from 1963 to 1969, then as deputy technical director of the same section from 1970 to 1973, the year in which he took on the role of Dtn, which he held until 1983. In 1984 he was elected national councilor, in 1985 he assumed responsibility for the General Gymnastics sector – the future Gymnastics for All, or GpT – and in 1995 also that of the Aerobic Gymnastics section. It can be said, without fear of contradiction, that these two sections are his creation. He was the National Manager of the Cas Coni Gymnastics Centres from 1963 to 1997 and directed national and European training courses for technical managers. Author of several technical and promotional publications, with particular reference to the world of schools, Prof. Agabio, at an international level, was part of the technical commission of General Gymnastics and chaired the Aerobics commission of the European Union. Since September 2005 he has been an Honorary Member of the Ueg, in Lausanne. On December 17, 2000 he became the 26th president of the Italian Gymnastics Federation, succeeding Bruno Grandi. On 19 December 2004 he was confirmed as president, after having won three medals at the Athens Games (the gold medal on the horizontal bar with Igor Cassina, the silver medal on the Rhythmic Butterfly and the bronze medal on the rings with Jury Chechi). On 20 December 2008 he began his third term and, in December 2012 (after Matteo Morandi's bronze medal in the rings and the Insieme dei piccoli Strumenti in London), he was re-elected for the fourth and final time. In December 2016 he will leave the leadership of the Federation to the knight.

Member of the national council of Cones from May 19, 2005, on April 20, 2006 he was elected deputy vice president of Gianni Petrucci's Olympic Committee. And when the latter decided to leave, for a few months Agabio took on the role of "regent" of the Foro Italico.

Knight of the Republic for sporting merit since 27 December 1970, Gold Star for Sporting Merit since December 2002, Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic since June 2005, Agabio passed away the day before the 156th birthday of "his" federation.

The funeral will be held on Monday morning at 10.45, in the church of Ss. Martiri in via Medaglie d'Oro in Prato.

The newly elected president Andrea Facci, who took his first steps in the gym in Padua under Agabio's management, called a minute of silence in all the federal competitions of the weekend.