Luis Dieppa Roque, former head of Puerto Rico track federation, dies

The short version

• Metro Puerto Rico reported that Luis Dieppa Roque, who led the athletics program at Universidad del Turabo and presided over the Federación de Atletismo de Puerto Rico, died
• El Vocero said he had served three Olympic terms as president of the Federación de Atletismo de Puerto Rico since November 2016
• El Nuevo Día reported that under his direction the Turabo Taínos won multiple LAI championships and runner-up finishes in both genders
• The LAI and FAPUR extended condolences to his wife Milagros, children, colleagues and the Puerto Rican athletics community

Death announced

Luis Dieppa Roque, who served as president of the Federación de Atletismo de Puerto Rico (FAPUR) and directed the athletics program at Universidad del Turabo, has died. El Nuevo Día reported that both the federation and the Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria (LAI) confirmed the news on Monday, Oct. 12. Metro Puerto Rico reported the LAI made the announcement that day.

Dieppa Roque worked as a professor and athletics director at the institution now part of the Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported that the Taínos achieved multiple championships and runner-up positions in men's and women's events under his leadership.

What the sources posted

Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.

Hoy despedimos no solo a un líder institucional de tres términos olímpicos, sino al gran jefe, mentor y amigo

Our translation: Today we bid farewell not only to an institutional leader of three Olympic terms, but to the great boss, mentor and friend

The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.

Extendemos nuestras más sinceras condolencias a sus familiares, amistades, colegas, estudiantes-atletas

Our translation: We extend our most sincere condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, student-athletes

The source's own statement, as quoted by Telemundo Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.

Leadership roles

El Vocero reported that Dieppa Roque had been president of FAPUR since Nov. 10, 2016 and was serving his third four-year term, which was set to continue past the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. NotiCel reported that his work extended from the university level to the national federation.

The LAI highlighted his commitment to student-athlete development. El Nuevo Día reported that both organizations expressed condolences to family, friends, colleagues and the athletics community.

Where the sources differ

All five sources agree that Luis Dieppa Roque died after serving as president of the Federación de Atletismo de Puerto Rico and as athletics director and professor at Universidad del Turabo, where his teams won multiple LAI titles. They also agree that both the LAI and FAPUR issued statements of condolence. El Vocero is the only source that states he had led FAPUR since Nov. 10, 2016, was in his third term extending past 2028, revealed a 2024 colorectal cancer diagnosis, and that FAPUR used the specific phrases about battling until the end and leaving a legacy of transparency, structure and success. Other outlets mention three Olympic terms or cycles but do not give the start date or mention cancer.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports give the date or place of death, the cause beyond one outlet's reference to a prior cancer diagnosis, his exact age, or any details about funeral arrangements beyond FAPUR saying it would provide them later. The sources do not describe any immediate successor for the federation presidency or specific upcoming events that will be affected.

Sources

Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.

1. Official Fallece Luis Dieppa Roque, exdirigente de la Federación de Atletismo de Puerto RicoLAI (LAI statement) · metro.pr · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST
2. Official Fallece Luis Dieppa Roque, histórico líder del atletismo boricuaFAPUR (FAPUR statement) · elnuevodia.com · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST
3. Reporting Fallece Luis Dieppa Roque, exdirigente de la Federación de Atletismo de Puerto RicoMetro Puerto Rico (Metro Puerto Rico) · metro.pr · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST
4. Reporting Fallece Luis Dieppa Roque: destacado atleta y líder deportivoTelemundo Puerto Rico (Telemundo Puerto Rico) · telemundopr.com · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST
5. Reporting Fallece Luis Dieppa Roque, histórico líder del atletismo boricuaEl Nuevo Día (El Nuevo Día) · elnuevodia.com · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST
6. Reporting Fallece Luis Dieppa, expresidente de la Federación de AtletismoNotiCel (NotiCel) · noticel.com · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST
7. Reporting Fallece Luis Dieppa, presidente de la Federación de AtletismoEl Vocero (El Vocero) · elvocero.com · Spanish · checked Oct 12, 4:13 PM AST

How we checked this

Metro Puerto Rico, Telemundo Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Día, NotiCel and El Vocero all reported the death and the statements from the LAI and FAPUR. The specific start date of his presidency, the cancer diagnosis and the longest direct quotes appear only in El Vocero.

Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.