Dubem Amene, the American-born Nigerian champion, has announced his retirement from athletics at the age of 21. This decision follows the disqualification of Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team from the Paris 2024 Olympics final.
Amene, along with teammates Ifeanyi Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, and Chidi Okezie, had qualified for the 4x400m final by finishing second in their heat with a season’s best time of 2:59.81.
However, their celebration was short-lived as the team was disqualified from the final due to a lane infringement by Ojeli, who ran the first leg before passing the baton to Nathaniel.
In light of this disappointing turn of events, Amene, who secured the national title at the Nigerian Olympic trials in Benin earlier this year, has decided to retire from the sport. He expressed that he has achieved his lifelong dream of becoming an Olympian and will now pursue a career in finance.
The 21-year-old recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and is set to enter the workforce.