Joshua Ilustre
Personal information
Born (1994-01-23) January 23, 1994[1]
Tamuning, Guam[2]
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[2]
Weight160 lb (73 kg)[2]
Sport
Country Guam
SportAthletics

Joshua Ilustre (born January 23, 1994) is a Guamanian middle-distance runner. He competed in the men's 800 metres at the 2016 Summer Olympics but was disqualified for a lane infringement in his heat.

Biography

Joshua Ilustre was born in Tamuning, Guam on January 23, 1994. Ilustre graduated from George Washington High School.[3] In high school he participated in the Oceania Championships, the Micronesia Area Championships, Hong Kong Intercity Athletics Championships and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Track and Field Championships.[4]

He was accepted for academic merit to University of Portland, and made the track team while a sophomore as a walk-on. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology.[3]

2016 Summer Olympics

Ilustre was notified he would be participating in the Olympics in July 2016 by Guam Track & Field Association President Marissa Peroy. Guam had received two universality slots—one male and one female—for athletics.[3]

Ilustre ran in the fourth heat of the 800 metres in Rio.[5] An hour after the race he learned that he had been disqualified for a lane violation.[6] His coach Derek Mandell submitted an appeal, but after a 12 hour wait learned it was unsuccessful.[7] Mandell believed that video evidence showed the infraction was unclear, but a panel of judges upheld the decision. He finished with a time of 1:58, and his personal best was 2:01, however due to the disqualification his personal record stayed at 2:01. Since Ilustre finished last in his heat, there would have been no change in circumstances had he not been disqualified, and he wanted his personal record to count.[6]

Post-Olympics

Following the Olympics, he took a month long mental and physical respite. Ilustre returned to Portland to work as a medical transcriptionist, which he did for seven months before becoming homesick and returning to Guam. He has been helping his father's coconut business and works part-time at Run Guam, a store selling sportswear in Hagåtña.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Joshua Ilustre". Olympic. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Josh Ilustre". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Guerrero, Jay (August 2, 2016). "Olympic profile: Sprinter Josh Ilustre". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Engichy, Kasmira (August 20, 2017). "Catching up with runner Joshua Ilustre one year after the 2016 Rio de Janiero(sic) Olympics". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Joshua Ilustre". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Sablan, Jerick. "Ilustre's disqualification appeal denied". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  7. ↑ Sablan, Jerick (August 18, 2016). "Ilustre: Disqualification like 'slap in the face'". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
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