Diogo Silva (taekwondo)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Silvestre and the second or paternal family name is Silva.

Diogo André Silvestre da Silva (born March 7, 1982) is a Brazilian taekwondo athlete. He finished in the fourth place in the men's 68-kilogram category in taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics on August 27. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he finished in 5th in the same weight class. Silva failed to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Diogo Silva

Silva in 2007
Personal information
Born	(1982-03-07) 7 March 1982 São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
Medal record Men's Taekwondo Representing Brazil Pan American Games 2007 Rio de Janeiro – 68 kg 2003 Santo Domingo – 68 kg South American Games Rio 2002 – 67 kg Buenos Aires 2006 – 67 kg Medellin 2010 – 68 kg Universiade Belgrado 2009 – 67 kg World Qualification Tournament for 2012 Olympic Games Baku 2011 – 68 kg Military World Games Rio 2011 – 68 kg Open championships Belgica Open 2006 – 67 kg Korea Open 2006 – 67 kg Germany Open 2007 – 67 kg US Open 2012 – 68 kg Germany Open 2006 – 67 kg Germany Open 2014 – 68 kg US Open 2011 – 68 kg US Open 2013 – 68 kg

Silva was raised in Londrina, Paraná, and entered sports following a suggestion of his mother, who wanted him to enter an academy to stop fighting in the street. She wanted Silva to take up judo, but he entered taekwondo because he wanted to fight "like the actors in fighting movies". He cited as influences Jet Li and Jackie Chan, the latter being star of his favorite movies, Rumble in the Bronx and Rush Hour. Diogo stood out for Fighting the lack of incentive and the taekwondo For the Black Movement | black cause.

Silva frequently protests against the lack of support for his sport. He has alleged that he receives only $600 reais "which come late, only between three and three months" from the taekwondo confederation, and having to spend R$5000 of his own money to train and compete in Europe. He is also an accomplished tree climber, surfer, parachutist and bunjee-jumper.

Sporting career

In the 2004 Olympics, Diogo defeated the Venezuelan Luis Alberto García with a 6 a 5 and in the second round lost to the Iranian Hadi Saei with 8 a 6 in pay-off won the Italian Carlo Molfetta and the Guatemalan Gabriel Sagastume, in the bronze dispute Diogo lost to the South-Korean Song Myeong-Seob with a 12 a 7 score, staying in fourth place.

Achievements

Diogo Silva won two Pan American Games medals, bronze in Santo Domingo 2003 Gold in Rio de Janeiro 2007. He also received the bronze in the 1998 World Youth Taekwondo Championship, and gold in two South American Games.

2004 Summer Olympics

See also: Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Diogo competed at the Olympics for the first time in 2004, achieving a fourth-place finish. He was defeated in the quarterfinals by Iranian Hadi Saei Bonehkohal. At the repechage, Silva defeated Italian Carlo Molfetta and Gabriel Sagastume of Guatemala, but was beaten by South Korean Song Myeong-Seob in the bronze medal match. At the Bronze match, Silva brought with him a Black Panthers glove, because he wanted to protest against the lack of support for his sport in Brazil.

2012 Summer Olympics

See also: Taekwondo at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Silva competed in the 2012 Olympic Games; after losing to Mohammad Bagheri Motamed in the semi-finals, Silva was put into the Bronze medal match. He actually tied up the score in the third round, but his opponent Terrence Jennings from the United States beat him with a kick to the head which landed in a victory for Jennings 8-5. Silva ended in fifth place at the Olympic Games.