I’m Ready To Make A Mark For Nigeria-Morton

Nigerian youngster Amechi Morton has said that racing for the country at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a big thing he is looking forward to this year.

Morton, who won an NCAA title for Stanford as a senior this spring, will compete in the 400m intermediate hurdles for Nigeria at the London Olympics.

Morton, 22, was born and reared in the United States, but his parents are from Nigeria. He won the 400 hurdles title at the Nigerian trials in Calabr, Ctoss River State to earn an Olympic spot, and he won the event at the weekend at the African Championships in Porto-Novo, Benin.

Morton, who already had the Olympic “A” qualifying standard, finished in 49.32 seconds Saturday to top a field that included 2011 world championships bronze medalist L.J. van Zyl of South Africa. and Mozambican Kurt Cuoto tumble out.

“I came here with a positive mind set not really bothered who I would be racing. I was ready to fight and make a mark for my country Nigeria,” he told www.iaaf.org in Benin.

Morton, went out hard from the start at the Porto Novo meet and was in firm control of the race at the second last bend when the race defending champion Van Zyl running in the inner most lane slowed down, as Senegalese Mamadou Hanne and Kenyan Bernard Mucheru, World youth finalist piled pressure on the Nigerian.

Morton was rewarded with his first major career win in 49.32, that could as well convince him to carry on racing for the West African nation.

Hanne beat Mucheru just on the line for the silver in 49.39 with the Kenyan returning 49.45, an Olympic A standard.