Britton targets redemption at Commonwealth Games
Evonne Fatimah Britton has set her sights firmly on redemption at the Commonwealth Games after narrowly missing out on a medal at the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships on home soil, a result she admits still stings, but one she believes will sharpen her pursuit of global success.
The Ghanaian hurdler finished fourth in a fiercely competitive women’s sprint hurdles final, just outside the podium places behind world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, Zimbabwe’s Ashley Miller and Nigeria’s Adaobi Tabugbo.
It was a cruel margin of defeat, but the US-born athlete insists the experience has strengthened her resolve as she pivots towards a packed international cycle that includes the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the 2027 African Games and ultimately the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where she hopes to represent Ghana on the biggest stage of all.
“Obviously, it would be good to have a medal and bring home a medal in front of my own people,” Britton told the Graphic Sports in an exclusive interview. “So it is very disappointing that I missed it because that’s the worst place to be, to miss it just by one space. But you just have to keep learning, take it as a lesson.”
Despite the setback, Britton has already reset her ambitions with characteristic clarity, insisting the focus is now on converting near-misses into podium finishes.
“I am really looking forward to the Commonwealth Games. I promise to make amends and get into the medals. There is also the African Games next year and the biggest one, the Olympics in LA. I will work hard to represent and make Ghana proud there,” she added.
Britton’s rise has been shaped by a diverse sporting background, having competed in basketball, softball, volleyball and dance as a child before committing to hurdling. She developed through a strong collegiate system at the Penn State University and first announced herself on the global stage with a silver medal in the 400m hurdles at the 2010 World Junior Championships while representing the United States.
After narrowly missing selection for the US Olympic team at both the 2016 and 2020 trials, she made the strategic decision in 2024 to switch allegiance to Ghana — the country of her parents — and debuted for the Black Stars of Athletics at the African Championships in Yaoundé, Cameroun.
Her breakthrough moment in Ghana colours came earlier this year in Germany, where she clocked a stunning 7.99 seconds to win the women’s 60m hurdles at the ISTAF Düsseldorf meeting.
The run not only set a new Ghana national record but also made her the first Ghanaian woman to break the sub-eight-second barrier and only the eighth African athlete to achieve the feat.
That performance underlined her arrival among Africa’s elite hurdlers and significantly boosted her confidence heading into the continental championships.
Reflecting on her rapid progression, Britton pointed to her ability to thrive under pressure as a key factor in her development.
“It was just the pressure and I like pressure and being able just to lock in and focus on my goal, which was to represent Ghana to the best of my ability and to show that we are talented people and we can represent on the national, global, world level, like everyone else,” she said.
