Welsh athlete Dai Greene, famed for his 400m hurdles wins at World, European, and Commonwealth Championships, has announced his retirement at 38. This ends a notable career marked by many achievements but lacking an Olympic medal.
Greene, renowned for his achievements in both the 400m hurdles and the 400m, reached the zenith of his career in 2011 when he won gold in the 400m hurdles at the World Championships in Daegu. He also played a crucial role in the 4x400m relay, helping Great Britain secure a silver medal at the Berlin World Championships in 2009.
In 2010, Greene excelled by claiming the European title in Barcelona and gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, representing Great Britain and Wales, respectively. However, a series of health issues significantly impacted his subsequent career.
In addition to his successes on the track, Dai has served as captain of the Great Britain athletics team on three occasions, with the most notable being during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
During his younger years, Dai explored various sports before choosing athletics as his main focus. He was a dedicated footballer and played for the Swansea City academy until he was 17. It was during his time at university that he developed a deep passion for athletics.
Despite living with epilepsy since the age of 17, he has not allowed this to prevent him from achieving his goals and aspirations in the sporting arena. In 2018, Greene expressed his frustration and disappointment after a hernia repair surgery led to complications with a hernia mesh, causing him to lose five years of his career.
Greene revealed on social media that the arrival of his daughter in December influenced his decision to retire, as he was unable to return to competitive form. “My career can be seen as having two halves,” he wrote.
By the age of 25, I had won everything in the sport except for the Olympics, yet I feel I never truly fulfilled my potential. The years between 2013 and 2016 should have been dedicated to honing my skills and maximising my talent, but a routine surgery gone wrong derailed those dreams.”
Greene also noted that subsequent corrective surgeries prevented him from reaching his peak performance again, though he occasionally glimpsed the athlete he once was. With his retirement, Greene now looks forward to focusing on coaching and mentoring other athletes, embarking on the next chapter of his sporting life.
