If judo is the sport of self-perfection, McKenzie Morgan is running out of flaws.
The judoka won in the -81kg/u21 category at the England Judo Sportif tournament in London, England, and appears to be on his way to earning a national team berth.
Morgan was undefeated in England against a tough field, which included many of Europe’s best teenage fighters.
“I got gold. Last year I got silver. It was a great day. I didn’t get thrown all day. I won all my fights. The first was the hardest, it went the distance, but the others went quickly. I threw them all and finished them on the ground,” Morgan said.
The result is arguably the best of his career, and establishes him as one of Canada’s top prospects.
“I’m feeling much stronger. Working with coach Ewan Beaton, he’s really improved my judo. I have more skill. It’s much more strategic,” Morgan said.
Since moving from Canmore to Lethbridge, the U21 grappler has vastly improved his skill set, and will find out next month if he will earn carding and a spot on the national team. Working with national team coaches, he’s greatly improved his strength, strategy and groundwork. The towering judoka is now able to capitalize on mistakes made by his opponents.
“My strategy, I try and get them on the ground. My groundwork has been very strong this year. I’ve worked on transitions, and it’s paying off,” Morgan said. “Being tall definitely helps my overhand reach. I drag my opponents down, grind them down and wear them out. I outlast a lot of my opponents.”
Morgan has pursued judo competitively for several years, and is ready to take the next step in his career.
“We will see how Nationals go this year. I’m definitely hoping for a podium in the U21 there. We will see how the seniors go…” Morgan said.
He’s won several medals this year across the country, and during a training camp in Canmore, he’s preparing for a Canada Cup, which will be his next big test. If he earns a spot on the national team, he’ll move to Montreal to be near the training centre. It’s a path paved by Canmore’s Erin Morgan (no relation).
“I was hoping to make the national team. I wasn’t sure. When I moved to Lethbridge (from Canmore) it became more imaginable,” Morgan said.
Beaton coaches Morgan extensively in Lethbridge, and said he’s seen vast improvements from the Canmorite.
“He’s getting a lot of good performances at the Canadian level, but in London he had huge improvements. He really put things together against dangerous opponents, who were putting him in positions where in the past, he would make the mistake and maybe lose the match … now his opponents are making the mistake and he’s capitalizing,” Beaton said.
He praised Morgan’s work ethic, and said he’s a coachable athlete. Tweaking his style has helped his results.
“McKenzie has a very big possibility to be offensive. But sometimes he was being overly offensive, and that put him into danger. We have everything scaled back, so he is making the right decision based on the position he is in on the mat,” Beaton said.
Morgan wants to see how far he can go in the sport, and is embracing the training regime, which includes around 20 hours a week. As he’s shown throughout his career, Morgan is unafraid to put in the work to reach his goals.
