| Honorific suffix | OLY |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kelly Ann Morgan[1] |
| Birth date | 22 May 1975 (age 51)[2] |
| Birth place | Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[2] |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb)[2] |
| Handedness | Right |
Kelly Ann Aston (, born 22 May 1975) is a Welsh badminton player. She has represented Wales and Great Britain in regional and international competitions, including the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, winning gold in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, and beat world number one Ye Zhaoying of China in the 1999 IBF World Championships.
Career
Aston began playing badminton at age nine. Her brother, Ross, was initially trying for the Welsh national team, and she only made the team as a result of accompanying him to the trials.[3]
Morgan won the 1998 Rhondda Cynon Taff Sports Personality of the Year[4] and in 1999, Aston was voted Welsh Woman of the Year;[3] she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2002 Birthday Honours for "services to the community, especially through Sport, in South Wales."[1][5][6]
Aston won 13 consecutive Women's Singles titles at the Welsh National Badminton Championships between 1992 and 2004, as well as six Women's Doubles and 4 Mixed Doubles titles. In 1998, she received a gold medal representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games, won silver at the 1998 European Badminton Championships, and bronze at the 2000 European Badminton Championships. She also represented Great Britain at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.[citation needed]
Personal life
Aston was born in Pontypridd and attended Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School.[2][7] She married her husband, Dylan Aston, in 2002, and has two children, Ethan and Ella.[3][8] As of December 2015 is a teacher at the GEMS Wellington Academy-Al Khail in Dubai.[8][9] She has also been heavily involved in charity work, particularly relating to Down syndrome, and was the patron of the Down's Syndrome Association of Wales.[5][3]
Achievements
Commonwealth Games
Women’s singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Aparna Popat | 13–10, 11–5 | Gold |
European Championships
Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena, Glasgow, Scotland | Camilla Martin | 11–4, 6–11, 1–11 | Bronze |
| 1998 | Winter Sports Palace, Sofia, Bulgaria | Camilla Martin | 2–11, 4–11 | Silver |
IBF World Grand Prix
The World Badminton Grand Prix has been sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation since 1983.
Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Dutch Open | Judith Meulendijks | 9–11, 11–6, 8–11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | US Open | Lee Eun-woo | 13–10, 7–11, 11–5 | Winner |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Polish Open | Joanne Muggeridge | Christine Gandrup Marina Andrievskaya | 10–15, 8–15 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | Dutch Open | Pernille Harder | Erica van den Heuvel Monique Hoogland | 15–9, 15–9 | Winner |
IBF International
Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Irish International | Tine Rasmussen | 9–11, 5–11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Southern PanAm Classic | Kanako Yonekura | 2–11, 3–11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Brazil International | Miho Tanaka | 8–11, 2–11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Peru International | Dolores Marco | 11–9, 11–5 | Winner |
| 2003 | Croatian International | Pi Hongyan | 11–6, 5–11, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Polish International | Xu Huaiwen | 5–11, 11–9, 3–11 | Runner-up |
| 2002 | Mexico International | Sandra Jimeno | 11–1, 11–2 | Winner |
| 2001 | Scottish International | Christina Sørensen | 8–6, 7–2, 5–7, 6–8, 5–7 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | French International | Karolina Ericsson | 12–9, 11–3 | Winner |
| 1996 | Welsh International | Karolina Ericsson | 11–4, 11–4 | Winner |
| 1996 | Norwegian International | Marina Andrievskaya | 9–5, 9–0, 4–9, 9–8 | Winner |
| 1996 | Finnish International | Joanne Muggeridge | 10–12, 5–11 | Runner-up |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Welsh International | Sarah Hardaker | Brenda Conjin Nicole van Hooren | 15–6, 10–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 1996 | Finnish International | Joanne Muggeridge | Nichola Beck Joanne Davies | 15–3, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1995 | Portugal International | Sarah Hore | Mette Hansen Majken Vange | 6–15, 17–14, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1994 | Hungarian International | Anne Søndergaard | Sarah Hardaker Rebecca Pantaney | 8–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Welsh International | Matthew Hughes | Chris Langridge Caroline Westley | 17–14, 8–15, 15–7 | Winner |
References
- ^ "MBEs: I – M". BBC News. 14 June 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ "Kelly Morgan". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ Harris, Nick (28 July 2002). "Badminton: Morgan the Racket seeks action replay of greatest moment". The Independent. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ "Sports Personality of the Year". Aberdare Leader. 8 April 1999. p. 11. Retrieved 25 February 2026. – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Badminton star Morgan honoured". BBC Sport. 14 June 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ No. 56595. 15 June 2002. p. 19.
- ^ "Golden swimmer with a will to win". BBC News. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ Matthew, Monl (14 October 2014). "Commonwealth gold medallist Kelly in Dubai". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ "Meet our Faculty". GEMS Wellington Academy-Al Kahail. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.