Joseildo Rocha da Silva (born 20 February 1965) is a Brazilian

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

. He won the 1991 Chicago Marathon, the marathon event at the

1991 South American Championships in Athletics It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, and the 1993

Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon (formerly known as the City of Los Angeles Marathon) is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Ga ...

. Da Silva competed in the men's marathon at the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

Career

In 1991, da Silva won the marathon event at the

. Later in the year, he won the 1991 Chicago Marathon. Da Silva took the lead around into the race, and despite being caught by Irishman

Roy Dooney Roy Dooney (born 23 January 1958) is an Irish former runner, who came second at the 1991 Chicago Marathon. He won the 1992 Grandma's Marathon, and was a member of the Irish team that won the 1988 New York City road relay race. Career Dooney c ...

after of the race, da Silva quickly dropped Dooney, and won the race by six seconds. His winning time of 2:14:33 was the slowest winning time since

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

, due to the wind and cold weather, and da Silva said that the lack of competition in the race affected his ability to run quickly. The prize money for winning the Chicago Marathon was $7,500. In 1992, da Silva finished second in the

. During the race, he was caught up behind a media car, which prevented him from being able to chase eventual race winner

John Treacy John Treacy (born 4 June 1957) is an Irish Olympic Games, Olympian and former athlete, now a sporting administrator. He is best known for winning a silver medal in the marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Early life Treacy was ...

. Later in the year, he finished fifth at the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

, in a time of 2:11:53. Da Silva competed in the marathon event at the

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Spain. He finished 56th in a time of 2:26:00. In 1993, da Silva won the Los Angeles Marathon in a time of 2:14:29. Da Silva sprinted away from the field with left of the race, and his winning time of 2:14:29 was the slowest ever winning time at the race. The race was run in temperatures of , which accounted for the slow race pace. Da Silva received $2,500 and a

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

car worth $35,000 as a prize for winning the race. Da Silva later came 16th at the

1994 Chicago Marathon The 1994 Chicago Marathon was the 17th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on October 30. The elite men's race was won by Brazil's Luíz Antônio dos Santos in a time of 2:11:16 hours and the women's race w ...

, and did not finish the

1996 Chicago Marathon The 1996 Chicago Marathon was the 19th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on October 20. The elite men's race was won by Britain's Paul Evans in a time of 2:08:52 hours and the women's race was won in 2:30 ...

Post career

After retiring, not much is known about da Silva, as he did not have a telephone in his house. According to a former agent, da Silva was involved in two road traffic accidents in the early 2000s.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Joseildo da 1965 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Brazilian male long-distance runners Brazilian male marathon runners Olympic athletes for Brazil Place of birth missing (living people) Chicago Marathon male winners 20th-century Brazilian sportsmen 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen