Joshua Ilustre

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.

Joshua Ilustre

Personal information
Born	(1994-01-23) January 23, 1994 (age 31)[1] Tamuning, Guam[2]
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[2]
Weight	160 lb (73 kg)[2]
Sport
Country	Guam
Sport	Athletics

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]