João Manuel Perera Junqueira (born 24 June 1965 in Chaves, Alto Trás-os-Montes) is a retired Portuguese runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase.
At the 1993 World Cross Country Championships he earned the distinction of a bronze medal in the team competition, having finished 41st in the individual long race.
He was also a part of the sixth-place Portuguese team at the 2001 World Cross Country Championships.
João Junqueira started practicing Athletics at the Ginasio Clube de Chaves, which he represented until 1984.
Later he passed through ANA and Salgueiros, until reaching Benfica in 1988 where he was until 1990, when he was Portuguese Champion in the 3000m steeplechase, which was your main specialty.
He joined Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1991 and was in the service of the Sporting Club, where he was coached, among others, by Moniz Pereira and Bernardo Manuel, who lived the best years of his career, beating his personal records in the 3000m (7.47: 26), 5000m (13.22: 3), 10000m (27.53: 64) and 3000m steeplechase (8.25: 81, which was the track record of the Jose Alvalade Stadium).
It became an important element in Sporting's teams, namely in cross country, contributing to the conquest of several titles, with natural highlight to the 4 European Champion Cups won between 1991 and 1994, a competition that got the third best place.
He was also part of Sporting's teams that won 3 editions of the Cascais-Lisboa Relay between 1992 and 1994, and in 1993 was crowned the Portuguese Champion for the 2nd time in the 3000m steeplechase.
In 1994 he was distinguished with the Stromp Prize in the Athlete category after a great season, in which he won São Silvestre dos Olivais, was cross country Regional Champion and Portugal Champion in the 1500m, and twice improved his personal 5000m record.
He participated in three editions of the 10000m European Cup, a competition where he was never happy, always giving up, but was nevertheless part of the teams of Portugal that at the time won a Gold and two Silver Medal.
Awards and Decorations • Awarded “The Double Gold Star of Sports Merit” by the International Military Sports Council (CISM), February 28, 2002 • Honored by the Portuguese Athletics Federation for “In recognition of the outstanding sports career and contribution to the progress of National Athletics”, July 29, 2007 • 1997, 1998 and 1999 Fundação do Desporto Award • Chaves City Medal of Merit in 2017 • Honored by Sintra City Council for relevant results, September 17, 2009 • Stromp Award 1994 • Revelation of the Year Atletismo Magazine 1987 • Gandula Trophy, Gazette of Sports 1992