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