# Kelly Morgan

Kelly Ann Aston (née Morgan, 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.
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. As of December 2015 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 | 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, ?, ? | 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 | –,– | 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 |