Jamal Britt's Persistence Nets Nike Contract
Hurdler Jamal Britt, after years unsponsored, signed with Nike following a 12.89 win in Paris. He credits coach Allen Johnson and financial support from a USATF grant and the Cherokee Nation for his breakthrough season.
Jamal Britt has signed a Nike contract after hurdling to a breakthrough 12.89-second victory at the Paris Diamond League. The 27-year-old's persistence through financial hardship and injury has finally paid off with a dazzling season that includes a 12.86 win at the Prefontaine Classic. Another significance to that Paris time: he bettered his coach’s PR finally, the 12.92 that Allen Johnson ran when he won the ’96 Olympic gold medal.
A Barrier Finally Broken
Britt's quest to run under 13 seconds was long and frustrating. He equaled his then-personal best of 13.07 four times before a dramatic attempt in Rome. Battling for the lead with Trey Cunningham at the Golden Gala, the athlete clipped the ninth hurdle and crashed on the tenth, breaking his hand. Cunningham ran his first sub-13 second time; Britt flew home injured.
He returned to training in Greensboro with coach Allen Johnson. Ten days after the fall, he lined up at the LA Grand Prix. Racing alongside Cunningham again, the hurdler edged him with a strong late-race drive. He jumped for joy when the clock showed 12.99.
"Once I cracked that barrier, it was more of a relief," Britt told Track & Field News. "It's like, 'OK, even in a situation like that, I can still go out there and get back up and do what I can do.'"
The Grind Without a Sponsor
The sprinter turned professional in 2022 without a contract. The financial strain became severe after he missed making the 2024 Olympic team. He described it as rock bottom, struggling to pay rent, utilities, and even to feed himself. The need to work jobs, including one at FedEx lifting heavy boxes, distracted from his training.
"I was more focused on money than on my performance, which should have been the other way around for me," he said. "Because if you perform, the money will come."
Several key developments helped him weather this period. He received a grant from the USATF Foundation in 2024, which provided vital support. He also gained official recognition as a member of the Cherokee Nation, which secured him health insurance to pay for physical therapy.
Coaching and Consistency
The athlete began working with coach Allen Johnson, the 1996 Olympic hurdles champion, last year. The connection was made through his girlfriend, 2021 Olympian Gabby Cunningham. The partnership brought immediate consistency, though it nearly yielded an Olympic team spot. At the 2024 USATF Championships, he was in a four-way battle for a team berth when he hit the sixth hurdle and fell at the seventh.
He finished that season with a third-place finish at the Diamond League Final in Zürich, still without a sponsor. His work with Johnson has focused on execution and rhythm. The goal for this season was to move beyond consistently running 13.1 seconds.
"Coach decided, 'Why not just run all these races and get the rhythm down?'" the hurdler explained.
Setting Up for the Future
The current season has been a revelation. He now has five performances under 13 seconds. He was also the champion of the now-defunct Grand Slam series, prize money that arrived while he was working at FedEx. That allowed him to scale back his work hours.
He views himself as an underdog, a role he embraces. The biggest lesson from Johnson, a four-time world champion, is simple: go out and compete to win. The runner believes the hurdles are entering a golden era and he is positioned to be part of it. His focus is now squarely on the upcoming World Championships and Olympic Games, having proven he can compete for medals.
