Kelly Morgan
Kelly Ann Aston 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.
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.
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.
In 1999, Aston was voted Welsh Woman of the Year, and in 2002 she was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Jubilee Birthday Honours List for "services to the community, especially through Sport, in South Wales".
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 Ellen. 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
IBF World Grand Prix
Women's singlesYear | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
2003 | US Open | Lee Eun-woo | 13–10, 7–11, 11–5 | Winner |
Year | Event | Competition | Representing | Position | Partner |
1992 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1992 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Doubles | 1st | Rachael Phipps | |
1993 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1994 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1994 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Doubles | 1st | Rachael Phipps | |
1995 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1996 | Olympic Games | Women's Singles | 9th | ||
1996 | Olympic Games | Women's Doubles | 17th | Joanne Muggeridge | |
1996 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1996 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Doubles | 1st | Racheael Phipps | |
1996 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Mixed Doubles | 1st | Richard Vaughan | |
1997 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1997 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Doubles | 1st | Racheael Phipps | |
1997 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Mixed Doubles | 1st | Richard Vaughan | |
1998 | Commonwealth Games | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1998 | European Badminton Championships | Women's singles | 2nd | ||
1998 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1998 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Doubles | 1st | Gail Osbourne | |
1998 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Mixed Doubles | 1st | John Leung | |
1999 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
1999 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Doubles | 1st | Rachelle Edwards or Rachelle Morgan | |
1999 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Mixed Doubles | 1st | Richard Vaughan | |
2000 | Olympic Games | Women's Singles | 9th | ||
2000 | European Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 3rd | ||
2000 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
2000 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Mixed Doubles | 1st | Richard Vaughan | |
2001 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
2002 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
2003 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st | ||
2004 | Olympic Games | Women's Singles | 9th | ||
2004 | Welsh National Badminton Championships | Women's Singles | 1st |