Le Roux Hamman announces plans to retire after 2024 Olympic Games

Recently at the third leg of the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Continental Tour Challenger Grand Prix Series held at the University of Johannesburg, the 32-year-old clocked an impressive 49.40 seconds despite hitting the first hurdle.

Hamman explained that his desire to have kids and build a family with his wife of four years means athletics will only delay and distract his attention therefrom.

"I've already decided I'm going to retire after this year. I'm 32 now, so I think this will be a good year to call it quits, and this is why I'm just enjoying every single race because I know it's my last year," said Hamman.

"I'm married for four years now and we want to start a family, so there are other responsibilities that will start coming up, and with athletics [I would be] extremely selfish."

Hamman, who claimed the title of African 400m hurdles champion in 2018, is fervently striving to secure his spot in the upcoming Olympic Games, aiming for his second and final appearance following his debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

He will have to either meet the qualifying time of 48.07 seconds or accumulate enough ranking points to secure his spot in the upcoming Paris Games.

"It's a two-phase goal – hopefully I can just outright qualify with the time, but if I can't get that, I'll go to Europe and see if I can make it on the world ranking system," he added.

"I would really like to go [to the Olympics] again, the first time was just participating, and then I missed 2021 [in Tokyo] on world rankings."

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