Morten Frost
Danish badminton player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morten Frost Hansen (born 4 April 1958) is a badminton player and later coach, who represented Denmark. As a player, he spent twelve years in the top three of the world rankings. After his retirement in 1991, he became director of performance for Badminton Denmark and also coaches in Malaysia and South Africa. He has been appointed Badminton Association of Malaysia's national technical director from 2015 to 2020, and later as the performance director of Badminton England.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Mr Badminton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Morten Frost Hansen 4 April 1958 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Denmark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Badminton career
Danish player Morten Frost achieved significant international success in badminton but notably never won the World Championships, securing silver medals in 1985 and 1987. Despite this gap in his record, he won multiple All England Open, European, and Nordic titles.
Frost is also distinguished by winning all of the invitational Grand Prix tournaments at least once, including his home country's Denmark Open, of which he was champion 1980-1986 and 1989. Morten Frost represented Denmark on the national team from 1976 to 1991, longer than anyone else.
Noted for his exceptionally smooth and fluid footwork, Frost's playing style was something of a cross between the traditional singles game featuring numerous clears (lobs) and drops, with smashes often reserved for weak returns, and the modern singles game featuring more smashing from the outset of a rally to create openings.
Morten Frost was inducted into the BWF Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.
Coaching career
After his playing years were over, he went on to successfully coach the Danish national team. During his tenure as coach, the Danish national squad achieved over 20 major international wins, including an Olympic gold medal in 1996, six gold medals and three silver medals at the European Championships in 1996, the men's singles titles at the 1995 and 1996 All England Championships, and a gold, two silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships in 1995. He later coached the national teams of Malaysia and South Africa.[2] Frost also worked as a commentator on the BBC's TV coverage of the badminton tournament at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.[3]
In 2015, Frost accepted a contract to be technical director of the Malaysian national team until the end of 2020.[4] Early 2017, Frost had a fallout with Malaysian former world number 1 player Lee Chong Wei regarding what Lee considered unfair treatment towards him after an injury.[5] In September 2017, Frost resigned from his position in Malaysia, citing personal reasons.[6]
In February 2019, Frost signed a one-year contract to coach India's junior players at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy.[7]
In 2020, Frost has been appointed as the performance director of Badminton England.[8]
Achievements
World Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada | 18–14, 10–15, 8–15 | ||
| 1987 | Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China | 2–15, 15–13, 12–15 |
World Cup
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | 11–15, 15–8, 4–15 | ||
| 1986 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | 15–5, 6–15, 11–15 |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 11–15, 15–4, 13–15 |
World Games
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | San Jose Civic Auditorium, California, United States | 15–9, 7–15, 12–15 |
European Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Martinihal, Groningen, Netherlands | 4–15, 15–1, 14–17 | ||
| 1984 | Guild Hall, Preston, England | 15–8, 15–2 | ||
| 1986 | Fyrishallen, Uppsala, Sweden | 15–8, 15–2 | ||
| 1988 | Badmintonsenteret, Kristiansand, Norway | 15–8, 12–15, 9–15 |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Guild Hall, Preston, England | 8–15, 10–15 |
European Junior Championships
Boys' singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Copenhagen, Denmark | 15–18, 2–15 |
IBF World Grand Prix (32 titles, 12 runners-up)
The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Swedish Open | 15–9, 10–15, 13–15 | ||
| 1983 | All England Open | 2–15, 15–12, 4–15 | ||
| 1983 | Scandinavian Open | 18–17, 15–2 | ||
| 1983 | World Grand Prix Finals | 2–15, 6–15 | ||
| 1984 | Chinese Taipei Open | 15–11, 15–7 | ||
| 1984 | Japan Open | 15–1, 18–15 | ||
| 1984 | Scottish Open | 15–11, 15–2 | ||
| 1984 | Denmark Open | 15–1, 15–2 | ||
| 1984 | All England Open | 9–15, 15–10, 15–10 | ||
| 1984 | Malaysia Open | 9–15, 4–15 | ||
| 1984 | Scandinavian Open | 15–10, 15–9 | ||
| 1984 | World Grand Prix Finals | 15–5, 15–4 | ||
| 1985 | Hong Kong Open | 10–15, 11–15 | ||
| 1985 | Denmark Open | 15–4, 15–5 | ||
| 1985 | All England Open | 15–6, 10–15, 15–18 | ||
| 1985 | English Masters | 15–12, 11–15, 15–11 | ||
| 1985 | Malaysia Masters | 15–4, 15–7 | ||
| 1985 | Scandinavian Open | 15–5, 15–8 | ||
| 1986 | German Open | 15–4, 15–3 | ||
| 1986 | Scandinavian Open | 15–5, 15–5 | ||
| 1986 | All England Open | 15–2, 15–8 | ||
| 1986 | Denmark Open | 15–9, 15–10 | ||
| 1986 | English Masters | 15–8, 15–5 | ||
| 1986 | World Grand Prix Finals | 13–18, 8–15 | ||
| 1987 | Poona Open | 15–11, 15–11 | ||
| 1987 | All England Open | 15–10, 15–0 | ||
| 1987 | English Masters | 18–13, 15–18, 15–12 | ||
| 1988 | Poona Open | 15–10, 15–9 | ||
| 1988 | German Open | 15–4, 15–6 | ||
| 1988 | All England Open | 15–8, 7–15, 10–15 | ||
| 1988 | French Open | 10–15, 15–6, 2–15 | ||
| 1988 | English Masters | 15–8, 15–8 | ||
| 1988 | Scottish Open | 15–7, 15–5 | ||
| 1989 | Chinese Taipei Open | 15–12, 15–3 | ||
| 1989 | Swedish Open | 15–4, 15–4 | ||
| 1989 | All England Open | 6–15, 7–15 | ||
| 1989 | German Open | 15–6, 15–4 | ||
| 1989 | Denmark Open | 15–12, 15–13 | ||
| 1989 | Scottish Open | 15–2, 15–5 | ||
| 1990 | Finnish Open | 15–13, 4–15, 15–9 | ||
| 1990 | Japan Open | 15–9, 15–4 | ||
| 1990 | Denmark Open | 15–4, 10–15, 15–17 |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Scottish Open | 15–11, 15–11 | |||
| 1984 | Denmark Open | 7–15, 2–15 |
IBF International
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | USSR International | |||
| 1977 | Norwegian International | 15–2, 15–5 | ||
| 1978 | Nordic Championships | 5–15, 15–6, 15–4 | ||
| 1979 | Dutch Open | 6–15, 15–3, 15–16 | ||
| 1979 | Denmark Open | 7–15, 7–15 | ||
| 1979 | English Masters | 4–15, 11–15 | ||
| 1979 | Canadian Open | 15–7, 14–17, 15–7 | ||
| 1979 | Randers Open | 10–15, 15–18 | ||
| 1979 | Nordic Championships | 15–6, 15–4 | ||
| 1980 | Copenhagen Cup | 15–8, 10–15, 15–9 | ||
| 1980 | Denmark Open | 7–15, 13–18 | ||
| 1980 | Canadian Open | 15–7, 15–11 | ||
| 1980 | Nordic Championships | 15–4, 15–7 | ||
| 1981 | Denmark Open | 15–7, 15–5 | ||
| 1981 | Swedish Open | 14–18, 13–15 | ||
| 1981 | Scandinavian Cup | 15–4, 15–11 | ||
| 1981 | Nordic Championships | 18–17, 15–5 | ||
| 1982 | Scottish Open | 15–4, 15–2 | ||
| 1982 | German Open | 15–12, 13–15, 15–8 | ||
| 1982 | Denmark Open | 15–7, 15–8 | ||
| 1982 | All England Open | 11–15, 15–2, 15–7 | ||
| 1982 | Nordic Championships | 15–2, 15–6 | ||
| 1982 | Scandinavian Cup | 15–3, 15–4 | ||
| 1983 | Scottish Open | 15–2, 15–6 | ||
| 1983 | Dutch Open | 15–11, 15–4 | ||
| 1983 | Denmark Open | |||
| 1983 | Nordic Championships | 10–15, 15–12, 15–1 | ||
| 1983 | India Masters | 15–7, 15–13 | ||
| 1984 | English Masters | 15–8, 18–15 | ||
| 1984 | Dutch Masters | 9–15, 14–18 | ||
| 1984 | Nordic Championships | 17–14, 15–6 | ||
| 1984 | Scottish Open | 12–15, 15–8, 9–15 | ||
| 1984 | Welsh International | 15–2, 15–6 | ||
| 1985 | Malaysia Masters | 15–4, 15–7 | ||
| 1986 | Bell's Open | 15–6, 15–5 | ||
| 1983 | Nordic Championships | 12–15, 9–15 | ||
| 1988 | Nordic Championships | 15–6, 15–6 |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Czechoslovakian International | 12–15, 8–15 | |||
| 1977 | USSR International | ||||
| 1977 | Norwegian International | 9–15, 6–15 | |||
| 1979 | Swedish Open | 12–15, 15–12, 10–15 | |||
| 1979 | Dutch Open | 8–15, 17–18 | |||
| 1979 | Canadian Open | 5–15, 1–15 | |||
| 1980 | Copenhagen Cup | 8–15, 6–15 | |||
| 1980 | Nordic Championships | 3–15, 15–3, 15–11 | |||
| 1981 | Nordic Championships | 15–9, 15–5 | |||
| 1981 | Scandinavian Cup | 11–15, 15–6, 12–15 | |||
| 1982 | German Open | 15–5, 15–6 | |||
| 1982 | Nordic Championships | 15–6, 15–18, 15–6 | |||
| 1983 | Nordic Championships | 12–15, 15–17 | |||
| 1984 | English Masters | 3–15, 3–15 | |||
| 1984 | Scottish Open | 12–15, 15–8, 9–15 | |||
| 1984 | Welsh International | 8–15, 15–18 | |||
| 1986 | Nordic Championships | 15–10, 15–12 |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Norwegian International | 6–15, 3–15 | |||
| 1981 | English Masters | 5–15, 6–15 | |||
| 1982 | Scottish Open | 13–18, 9–15 | |||
| 1983 | Scottish Open | 15–9, 6–15, 15–12 |
Quotes
- "Jeg hader at tabe mere end de fleste. Jeg har en vilje til at vinde HVER gang!" - Morten Frost
- "I hate to lose more than most. I have the will to win EVERY time!" - Morten Frost (translation of above)
- "He used to give international players in England a 14-0 start. And if they won, the bet was they would take the money. And most of the players would take the bet, but they made very little money. After that they found they couldn't win, so they never took the bet. But that's how you train not to make errors." - Tom John on Morten Frost