21-year-old Nigerian athlete Dubem Amene retires after Paris 2024 Olympics
American-born Nigerian champion Dubem Amene has announced his retirement from athletics at the age of 21, following the disqualification of Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team from the Paris 2024 Olympics final.
Amene, who was part of the Nigerian relay team alongside Ifeanyi Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, and Chidi Okezie, had a remarkable journey leading up to the Games.
The quartet qualified for the 4x400m final after finishing second in their heat with a season’s best time of 2:59.81. Unfortunately, the team’s hopes were dashed due to a lane infringement by Ojeli, resulting in disqualification.
Despite this setback, Amene has decided to retire from the sport, having achieved his lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to compete on the world’s stage and now looks forward to pursuing a career in finance.
Amene, who graduated from the University of Michigan in June with a degree in Economics, will transition into the workforce.
He began representing Nigeria in 2021 and was part of the mixed 4x400m relay team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they reached the semifinals. Additionally, he competed in the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, where the team finished sixth in the mixed relay.
With a personal best of 45.36 seconds, Amene was one of Nigeria’s standout quarter-milers in 2024. His retirement marks the end of a promising athletic career, but he leaves with a legacy of perseverance and achievement.
