Brazilian Olympic marathon runner Daniel Ferreira do Nascimento has been reported missing more than a month after he disappeared from his hometown while serving a suspension for failing an anti-doping test. Nascimento, 28, was last seen leaving his home in Paraguaçu Paulista, São Paulo, around 7 p.m. on June 19, according to his mother, Valdirense de Paula Ferreira. She said her son left carrying only a black backpack and noted that he has struggled with mental health issues. After weeks without contact, Ferreira and Nascimento’s five siblings filed a missing person report on July 27. The Brazilian Athletics Confederation confirmed the report and urged members of the athletics community to help locate the South American marathon record holder. Authorities in São Paulo state are investigating his disappearance. Nascimento represented Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics but missed the Paris Games after testing positive for three banned substances in 2024. The Athletics Integrity Unit later imposed a five-year suspension, preventing him from competing until July 2029. On Tuesday, which marked Nascimento’s 28th birthday, his mother shared an emotional Instagram message pleading for his safe return. “Come back home,” she wrote. “May God bless you, light your path, and bring you home safely.”
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