Olympic athlete, 28, who was banned for five years mysteriously vanishes as family appeal for help

THE family of a missing record-breaking Brazilian athlete who competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are appealing for information on his whereabouts. Mum-of-five Valdirene de Paula Ferreira admitted overnight she was very worried for 28-year-old Daniel Nascimento’s wellbeing after he vanished from the family home with just a backpack. Olympian Daniel Nascimento has vanished Credit: Instagram @valdirenepaulaferreira The Brazilian long distance runner’s mother released a desperate appeal for information. Credit: Shutterstock The long-distance runner made history in April 2022 by setting a South American and Americas area record of two hours, 4 minutes and 51 seconds at the Seoul Marathon where he finished in third place. The same year he placed eighth at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, and led the New York marathon for more than 20 miles until collapsing. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! His record time in Seoul qualified him for the Paris Olympics but he tested positive for steroids one month before the start of the competition in samples given while training. The elite athlete ended up being banned for five years in May last year, putting him out of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Overnight Daniel’s worried mum said in an Instagram appeal alongside a photo of the missing man: “Does anyone have any information about my son? “His name is Daniel Nascimento, better-known by the nickname Armero. He was a marathon runner.” She went on to reveal he vanished after leaving the family home in Paraguacu Paulista, a municipality in the south-west of the state of Sao Paulo, with a black backpack. He was last seen around 7pm on June 19, although his family are said to have only formally reported him missing to police yesterday and made the appeal shortly after on the eve of Daniel’s 28th birthday. Most read in Sport The talented prospect was banned from competition for five years after a positive doping test Credit: Shutterstock His mum admitted he was suffering from psychological problems Credit: Sportsfile Admitting Daniel was suffering psychological problems she linked to his doping ban, Valdirene said: “Since he was banned from competing, he was with me, under my care. “I would go to work and he would come with me. He was always a good boy. “Sometimes I used to take him out for a run. He would do some training sessions in secret in the middle of the sugarcane fields. I think he really missed the routine of being an athlete. “A thousand things go through your mind as a mother. I think I’ve lost about 10 kilos. “Daniel’s siblings are also very worried. We just want him to show up.” Police are understood to be investigating a report Daniel was seen walking by a highway running between Paraguacu Paulista and the neighbouring city of Assis but this has not yet been confirmed. Comment now