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.
Morgan won the 1998 Rhondda Cynon Taff Sports Personality of the Year and in 1999, Aston was voted Welsh Woman of the Year; 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."
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.
Personal life Aston was born in Pontypridd and attended Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School. She married her husband, Dylan Aston, in 2002, and has two children, Ethan and Ella. is a teacher at the GEMS Wellington Academy-Al Khail in Dubai. 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.
Achievements
Commonwealth Games Women’s singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result1998Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Aparna Popat 13–10, 11–5 Gold
European Championships Women's singles YearVenueOpponentScoreResult 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 YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult 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-up2003 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 YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult 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 YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult 2004 Welsh International Matthew Hughes Chris Langridge Caroline Westley 17–14, 8–15, 15–7 Winner
References
External links