Dubem Amene, a 21-year-old American-born Nigerian champion, has announced his retirement from athletics following the disqualification of Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team from the Paris 2024 Olympics final.
The decision comes after a lane infringement by teammate Ifeanyi Ojeli led to the team’s disqualification, despite an impressive qualifying performance.
Amene, who was part of the relay team alongside Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, and Chidi Okezie, had been instrumental in the team’s journey to the Games.
The quartet qualified for the 4x400m final with a season’s best time of 2:59.81, finishing second in their heat.
However, their hopes were dashed when the team was disqualified for the lane violation.
Despite this setback, Amene has decided to step away from the sport, having fulfilled his dream of becoming an Olympian.
He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to compete on the world stage and shared his excitement about pursuing a new career in finance.
A University of Michigan graduate with a degree in Economics, Amene will now transition into the workforce.
His athletics career began representing Nigeria in 2021, including a semifinal appearance in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a sixth-place finish in the 2022 World Championships 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, leaving behind a legacy of perseverance and achievement.
