View source for Vanderlei de Lima

{{short description|Brazilian long-distance runner}}
{{Portuguese name|Cordeiro|de Lima}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|image = Vanderlei-Cordeiro-de-Lima-2b.jpg
|image_size = 175px
|caption = Vanderlei at the Independence Day parade in 2004.
|birth_name = Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|7|4|df=y}}<ref name="Olympedia">{{Olympedia|65563}}</ref>
|birth_place = [[Cruzeiro do Oeste]], Paraná, Brazil
|sport = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
|event = [[Marathon]]
|show-medals = no
|medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{BRA}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]]|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|Marathon]]}}
{{Medal|TrueSpirit|2004}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1999 Pan American Games|1999 Winnipeg]]|[[Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games – Men's marathon|Marathon]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2003 Pan American Games|2003 Santo Domingo]]|[[Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games – Men's marathon|Marathon]]}}
}}

'''Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima'''  (born 4 July 1969) is a Brazilian retired [[Road running|long-distance runner]]. He was born in Cruzeiro do Oeste, [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]]. While leading the marathon after {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}} at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], he was attacked on the course by [[Irish people|Irish]] former [[priest]] [[Neil Horan|Cornelius "Neil" Horan]]. Following the incident, Lima fell from first to third place, eventually winning the bronze medal. He was later awarded the [[Pierre de Coubertin Medal]] for his sportsmanship shown in that race.

Lima won the [[Tokyo International Marathon]] in 1996 and the [[Hamburg Marathon]] in 2004. He won the [[South American Cross Country Championships]] in 1995, and the marathon at the [[Pan American Games]] consecutively in 1999 and 2003. He lit the Olympic cauldron and carried the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the [[2016 Summer Olympics]].

==Professional career==
Lima started out as a [[Cross country running|cross country runner]], representing Brazil at the [[1989 IAAF World Cross Country Championships|1989]] and [[1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships]]. He won a bronze medal at the 1993 [[South American Cross Country Championships]] before going on to win the competition in 1995.<ref name=GBR>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/cxc.htm Continental Cross Country Championships and Cups]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2 March 2010.</ref>

Lima won his first [[marathon]] in 1996, taking the [[Tokyo International Marathon]] title. He attended his first Summer Olympics that same year, running in the marathon at the [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|1996 Atlanta Games]] and finishing in 47th place. His first world appearance followed a year later at the [[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon|1997 World Championships in Athletics]], where he finished 23rd. He set a personal best of 2:08:31 at the 1998 Tokyo Marathon, finishing second behind [[Alberto Juzdado]].<ref>[https://www.arrs.run/MaraRank/ATM_Mara1998.htm World Marathon Rankings for 1998]. [[Association of Road Racing Statisticians]]. Retrieved 3 March 2010.</ref>

Lima was a two-time Pan American champion, running 2:17:20 at the [[Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games|1999 Games]] and 2:19:08 for the second victory at the [[Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games – Men's marathon|2003 Games]]. He began the 2004 season with a win (2:09:39) at the [[Hamburg Marathon]].

===Attack at 2004 Summer Olympics===
On 29 August 2004, at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens]], Lima was attempting to become the first Brazilian to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon. Soon after the {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}} mark, holding a lead of around 25 seconds, Lima was halted and grappled with by spectator [[Neil Horan]], an Irish priest who was later [[Defrocking|defrocked]].<ref name=Horan>[http://www.irishtimes.com/news/former-priest-horan-defrocked-by-church-1.1296250]. The Irish Times online 20 January 2005. Retrieved 7 August 2016.</ref> Horan had previously disrupted the 2003 [[Formula One]] [[2003 British Grand Prix|British Grand Prix]] by running onto the [[Silverstone Circuit|Silverstone]] track. Greek spectator Polyvios Kossivas helped free Lima from Horan's grasp and help Lima resume running. Horan said "I wasn't doing it as a prank, I was doing it to spread the gospel and to prepare people for the Second Coming."<ref name=Attack>Reuters [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/olympics/olympicstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3587883 De Lima to get sportsmanship medal following marathon attack]. Athens, Greece: Reuters. 30 August 2004.</ref>

Lima lost about 5–10 seconds in the incident, and he was passed by [[Italy|Italian]] [[Stefano Baldini]] (2:10:55) and [[United States|American]] [[Meb Keflezighi]] (2:11:29) later at the {{convert|38|km|mi|abbr=on}} mark. Lima ultimately finished third with a time of 2:12:11, winning the bronze medal. The [[Confederação Brasileira de Atletismo|Brazilian Athletics Confederation]] launched an appeal on behalf of Lima with president {{ill|Roberto Gesta de Melo|fr||pt}} claiming that "someone took him out of the race and we are asking for a gold medal for our athlete... solutions like that have been done in the past for other events." The appeal was rejected.<ref name=Attack/>

At the closing of the event, the [[International Olympic Committee]] awarded Lima the [[Pierre de Coubertin Medal]] for the spirit of [[sportsmanship]]. The medal was officially presented to Lima on 7 December in [[Rio de Janeiro]], during a formal ceremony organized on a yearly basis by the [[Brazilian Olympic Committee]] (COB) during the [[Prêmio Brasil Olímpico]]. Lima was also named Brazilian Athlete of the Year in 2004, receiving the trophy presented by the COB at the same time as the Pierre de Coubertin Medal. His award was the first occasion in which the winner was selected by online popular vote.<ref name=Attack/>

===Post-Olympic career===
[[File:Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima lights cauldron (28771915476).jpg|thumb|Lima lighting the Olympic cauldron in 2016.]]
Lima ran at the world championships for a second time, but did not finish in the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon|2005 World marathon race]]. He took part in the [[2005 Saint Silvester Road Race]] that same year but only managed to finish in 14th place. Lima attempted to defend his title at the [[Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games|2007 Pan American Games]], but dropped out with muscular problems at the 37-kilometer mark.<ref>Biscayart, Eduardo (30 July 2007). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=2/newsid=40026.html Brazilian de Almeida wins Marathon - Pan-Am Games, Final Day]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved 2010-03-03.</ref> He retired as a marathoner after running the [[Paris Marathon]] in April 2009.<ref>[http://zerohora.clicrbs.com.br/rs/esportes/noticia/2013/06/dono-do-recorde-nacional-da-maratona-vanderlei-cordeiro-de-lima-afirma-quero-que-o-atletismo-brasileiro-cresca-4170038.html Dono do recorde nacional da Maratona, Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima afirma: "Quero que o atletismo brasileiro cresça"] {{in lang|pt}}</ref>

Lima's biography was written by Renata Adrião D'Angelo, ''Vanderlei de Lima - A Maratona de uma Vida (A Marathon of Life)'', printed in Brazil by Casa da Palavra, in 2007. Lima took part in the [[2016 Summer Olympics torch relay]] in [[Brasília]]. In August 2016, he received the honor of [[List of people who have lit the Olympic Cauldron|lighting]] the [[Olympic Flame]] at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]] during the [[2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|Opening Ceremonies]].<ref>{{cite episode |airdate=5 August 2016 |network=NBC |series=2016 Summer Olympics |title=Opening Ceremony}}</ref>

A documentary shows De Lima returning to Athens at age 54 to participate in the [[Athens Classic Marathon]]. The documentary chronicles his relationship with the city and his experience with the attack at the 2004 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coupfilmfest.com/#vanderlei |title=Vanderlei Back in Athens Documentary  |work=Buena Onda Production |date= | accessdate=2025-08-22}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* [http://marathoninfo.free.fr/athletes/bresil/lima.htm marathoninfo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110207034105/http://www.casadapalavra.com.br/livros/index.php?codigo=301] The complete biography by Renata Adrião D´Angelo
* [http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=28044.html Vanderlei de Lima - the story of a man that goes beyond one strange incident] - Article from [[IAAF]]
* {{Olympics.com profile|vanderlei-de-lima}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Prêmio Brasil Olímpico|Brazilian Sportsmen of the Year]]
| years = 2004
| before = [[Fernando Meligeni]]
| after = [[João Derly]]
}}
{{S-sports|oly}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[List of people who have lit the Olympic Cauldron|Final Olympic torchbearer]]
| years = [[2016 Summer Olympics|Rio de Janeiro 2016]] along Jorge Gomes
| before = [[Irina Rodnina]] and [[Vladislav Tretiak]]
| after = [[Yuna Kim]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[List of people who have lit the Olympic Cauldron|Final Summer Olympic torchbearer]]
| years = [[2016 Summer Olympics|Rio de Janeiro 2016]] along Jorge Gomes
| before = Callum Airlie, Jordan Duckitt, [[Desiree Henry]], Katie Kirk, Cameron MacRitchie, Aidan Reynolds, and [[Adelle Tracey]]
| after = [[Naomi Osaka]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Pierre de Coubertin Medal recipients}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions Marathon Men}}
{{Footer Hamburg Marathon Champions Men}}
{{Footer Tokyo Marathon Champions Men}}
{{Prêmio Brasil Olímpico}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lima, Vanderlei de}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Brazilian sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Brazilian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Brazilian men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Hamburg Marathon men winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Brazil]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Brazil]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic cauldron lighters]]
[[Category:Pan American Games athletes for Brazil]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pierre de Coubertin medal]]
[[Category:Athletes from Paraná (state)]]