Morten Frost Explained

Morten Frost
Nickname:Mr Badminton
Birth Name:Morten Frost Hansen
Birth Date:4 April 1958
Birth Place:Nykøbing Sjælland, Odsherred, Denmark.[1]
Event:Men's singles
Highest Ranking:1
Country:Denmark
Handedness:Right

Morten Frost or Morten Frost Hansen (born 4 April 1958) is a former badminton player and later coach, who represented Denmark. As a player, he spent twelve years in the top three of the world rankings.

Badminton career

During his career, Frost won almost every available top level championship, except the World Badminton Championships where he scored a silver medal twice (1985 and 1987). When he lost his second World Championship in the finals, the headlines rang out "The World's greatest badminton player may never be World Champion." While this may be the enduring footnote to his career, Frost dominated at the much coveted All England Open Badminton Championships. He won that tournament in 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1987. He also was European champion in 1984 and 1986. He won the Nordic championship each year from 1978 through 1984 and again in 1988.

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]

Achievements

World Championships

Men's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1985Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada Han Jian18–14, 10–15, 8–15 Silver
1987Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China Yang Yang2–15, 15–13, 12–15 Silver

World Cup

Men's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1985Senayan Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia Icuk Sugiarto11–15, 15–8, 4–15 Silver
1986Senayan Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia Icuk Sugiarto15–5, 6–15, 11–15 Silver
Men's doubles

World Games

Men's singles

European Championships

Men's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1980Groningen, Netherlands Flemming Delfs4–15, 15–1, 14–17 Silver
1984Preston Guild Hall, Preston, England Jens Peter Nierhoff15–8, 15–2 Gold
1986Uppsala, Sweden Ib Frederiksen15–8, 15–2 Gold
1988Kristiansand, Norway Darren Hall15–8, 12–15, 9–15 Silver

International tournaments finals (30 titles)

Singles

Wins
DateTournamentOpponent in finalScore
1977Norwegian International
1977USSR International
1978Nordic Championships
1979Canadian Open
1979Nordic Championships
1980Denmark Open
1980Canadian Open
1980Nordic Championships
1981Denmark Open
1981Nordic Championships
1982All England Open Luan Jin11-15 15-2 15-7
1982Denmark Open
1982German Open
1982Scottish Open
1982Nordic Championships
1983Denmark Open
1983Dutch Open
1983Scottish Open
1983Nordic Championships
1984Nordic Championships
1985Welsh International
1986Belgian International
1989Nordic Championships
1990Finnish International

Men's doubles

Wins
DateTournamentEventPartnerOpponents in finalScore
1977USSR InternationalMD Steen Skovgaard
1980Nordic ChampionshipsMD Steen Fladberg
1981Nordic ChampionshipsMD Steen Fladberg
1982Nordic ChampionshipsMD Steen Fladberg
1983Scottish OpenXD Nettie Nielsen
1986Nordic ChampionshipsMD Steen Fladberg

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

YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
1983Swedish Open Misbun Sidek15–9, 10–15, 13–15 Runner-up
1983All England Open Luan Jin2–15, 15–12, 4–15 Runner-up
1983Scandinavian Open Prakash Padukone18–17, 15–2 Winner
1983World Grand Prix Finals Luan Jin2–15, 6–15 Runner-up
1984Chinese Taipei Open Hastomo Arbi15–11, 15–7 Winner
1984Japan Open Liem Swie King15–1, 18–15 Winner
1984Scottish Open Kevin Jolly15–11, 15–2 Winner
1984Denmark Open Jens Peter Nierhoff15–1, 15–2 Winner
1984All England Open Liem Swie King9–15, 15–10, 15–10 Winner
1984Malaysia Open Icuk Sugiarto9–15, 4–15 Runner-up
1984Scandinavian Open Han Jian15–10, 15–9 Winner
1984World Grand Prix Finals Liem Swie King15–5, 15–4 Winner
1985Hong Kong Open Yang Yang10–15, 11–15 Runner-up
1985Denmark Open Sung Han-kuk15–4, 15–5 Winner
1985All England Open Zhao Jianhua15–6, 10–15, 15–18 Runner-up
1985English Masters Steve Baddeley15–12, 11–15, 15–11 Winner
1985Malaysia Masters Misbun Sidek15–4, 15–7 Winner
1985Scandinavian Open Lius Pongoh15–5, 15–8 Winner
1986German Open Michael Kjeldsen15–4, 15–3 Winner
1986Scandinavian Open Torben Carlsen15–5, 15–5 Winner
1986All England Open Misbun Sidek15–2, 15–8 Winner
1986Denmark Open Michael Kjeldsen15–9, 15–10 Winner
1986English Masters Sze Yu15–8, 15–5 Winner
1986World Grand Prix Finals Yang Yang13–18, 8–15 Runner-up
1987Poona Open Jens Peter Nierhoff15–11, 15–11 Winner
1987All England Open Icuk Sugiarto15–10, 15–0 Winner
1987English Masters Steve Baddeley18–13, 15–18, 15–12 Winner
1988Poona Open Ib Frederiksen15–10, 15–9 Winner
1988German Open Xiong Guobao15–4, 15–6 Winner
1988All England Open Ib Frederiksen15–8, 7–15, 10–15 Runner-up
1988French Open Icuk Sugiarto10–15, 15–6, 2–15 Runner-up
1988English Masters Ardy Wiranata15–8, 15–8 Winner
1988Scottish Open Nick Yates15–7, 15–5 Winner
1989Chinese Taipei Open Eddy Kurniawan15–12, 15–3 Winner
1989Swedish Open Allan Budi Kusuma15–4, 15–4 Winner
1989All England Open Yang Yang6–15, 7–15 Runner-up
1989German Open Steve Baddeley15–6, 15–4 Winner
1989Denmark Open Zhao Jianhua15–12, 15–13 Winner
1989Scottish Open Jens Peter Nierhoff15–2, 15–5 Winner
1990Finnish Open Hermawan Susanto15–13, 4–15, 15–9 Winner
1990Japan Open Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen15–9, 15–4 Winner
1990Denmark Open Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen15–4, 10–15, 15–17 Runner-up

Men's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
1984Scottish Open Jesper Helledie Nigel Tier
Duncan Bridge
15–11, 15–11 Winner
1984Denmark Open Jens Peter Nierhoff Li Yongbo
Tian Bingyi
7–15, 2–15 Runner-up

National championships finals

Singles

Wins
YearTournamentOpponent in finalScore
1978Danish National Championships
1979Danish National Championships
1980Danish National Championships
1982Danish National Championships
1983Danish National Championships
1984Danish National Championships
1987Danish National Championships
1990Danish National Championships
1991Danish National Championships

Quotes

References

Cited
  • General
  • Further reading

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Players: Morten-Forst Hansen . https://web.archive.org/web/20020428220654/http://members.tripod.com/tangkis/player/denmark/morten.htm . dead . April 28, 2002 . 2008-03-18 . Smash - Badminton site .
    2. Web site: Danish legend Frost to coach South Africa . Shuttler. 2001-03-30.
    3. Web site: Tune in to the Beeb for badminton at Glasgow 2014 . . . 3 August 2014.
    4. News: High hopes for Morten Frost to revive Malaysia's badminton glory. The Malaysian Insider. 27 February 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160131205310/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sports/article/high-hopes-for-morten-frost-to-revive-malaysias-badminton-glory. 31 January 2016.
    5. News: World No 1 Lee Chong Wei threatens to quit Badminton Association of Malaysia. TODAYonline. 2017-10-11. en.
    6. Web site: Frost maintains that 'personal reasons' were why he quit. September 19, 2017. New Straits Times.
    7. News: Badminton Legend Morten Frost to Coach India's Junior Players. Akhil. Nahir. News18. 11 February 2019. 16 July 2019.