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.
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.
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]
Men's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada | Han Jian | 18–14, 10–15, 8–15 | Silver | |
1987 | Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China | Yang Yang | 2–15, 15–13, 12–15 | Silver |
Men's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Senayan Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia | Icuk Sugiarto | 11–15, 15–8, 4–15 | Silver | |
1986 | Senayan Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia | Icuk Sugiarto | 15–5, 6–15, 11–15 | Silver |
Men's singles
Men's singles
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | Groningen, Netherlands | Flemming Delfs | 4–15, 15–1, 14–17 | Silver | |
1984 | Preston Guild Hall, Preston, England | Jens Peter Nierhoff | 15–8, 15–2 | Gold | |
1986 | Uppsala, Sweden | Ib Frederiksen | 15–8, 15–2 | Gold | |
1988 | Kristiansand, Norway | Darren Hall | 15–8, 12–15, 9–15 | Silver |
Date | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Norwegian International | |||
1977 | USSR International | |||
1978 | Nordic Championships | |||
1979 | Canadian Open | |||
1979 | Nordic Championships | |||
1980 | Denmark Open | |||
1980 | Canadian Open | |||
1980 | Nordic Championships | |||
1981 | Denmark Open | |||
1981 | Nordic Championships | |||
1982 | All England Open | Luan Jin | 11-15 15-2 15-7 | |
1982 | Denmark Open | |||
1982 | German Open | |||
1982 | Scottish Open | |||
1982 | Nordic Championships | |||
1983 | Denmark Open | |||
1983 | Dutch Open | |||
1983 | Scottish Open | |||
1983 | Nordic Championships | |||
1984 | Nordic Championships | |||
1985 | Welsh International | |||
1986 | Belgian International | |||
1989 | Nordic Championships | |||
1990 | Finnish International |
Date | Tournament | Event | Partner | Opponents in final | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | USSR International | MD | Steen Skovgaard | |||
1980 | Nordic Championships | MD | Steen Fladberg | |||
1981 | Nordic Championships | MD | Steen Fladberg | |||
1982 | Nordic Championships | MD | Steen Fladberg | |||
1983 | Scottish Open | XD | Nettie Nielsen | |||
1986 | Nordic Championships | MD | Steen Fladberg |
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 | Misbun Sidek | 15–9, 10–15, 13–15 | Runner-up | |
1983 | All England Open | Luan Jin | 2–15, 15–12, 4–15 | Runner-up | |
1983 | Scandinavian Open | Prakash Padukone | 18–17, 15–2 | Winner | |
1983 | World Grand Prix Finals | Luan Jin | 2–15, 6–15 | Runner-up | |
1984 | Chinese Taipei Open | Hastomo Arbi | 15–11, 15–7 | Winner | |
1984 | Japan Open | Liem Swie King | 15–1, 18–15 | Winner | |
1984 | Scottish Open | Kevin Jolly | 15–11, 15–2 | Winner | |
1984 | Denmark Open | Jens Peter Nierhoff | 15–1, 15–2 | Winner | |
1984 | All England Open | Liem Swie King | 9–15, 15–10, 15–10 | Winner | |
1984 | Malaysia Open | Icuk Sugiarto | 9–15, 4–15 | Runner-up | |
1984 | Scandinavian Open | Han Jian | 15–10, 15–9 | Winner | |
1984 | World Grand Prix Finals | Liem Swie King | 15–5, 15–4 | Winner | |
1985 | Hong Kong Open | Yang Yang | 10–15, 11–15 | Runner-up | |
1985 | Denmark Open | Sung Han-kuk | 15–4, 15–5 | Winner | |
1985 | All England Open | Zhao Jianhua | 15–6, 10–15, 15–18 | Runner-up | |
1985 | English Masters | Steve Baddeley | 15–12, 11–15, 15–11 | Winner | |
1985 | Malaysia Masters | Misbun Sidek | 15–4, 15–7 | Winner | |
1985 | Scandinavian Open | Lius Pongoh | 15–5, 15–8 | Winner | |
1986 | German Open | Michael Kjeldsen | 15–4, 15–3 | Winner | |
1986 | Scandinavian Open | Torben Carlsen | 15–5, 15–5 | Winner | |
1986 | All England Open | Misbun Sidek | 15–2, 15–8 | Winner | |
1986 | Denmark Open | Michael Kjeldsen | 15–9, 15–10 | Winner | |
1986 | English Masters | Sze Yu | 15–8, 15–5 | Winner | |
1986 | World Grand Prix Finals | Yang Yang | 13–18, 8–15 | Runner-up | |
1987 | Poona Open | Jens Peter Nierhoff | 15–11, 15–11 | Winner | |
1987 | All England Open | Icuk Sugiarto | 15–10, 15–0 | Winner | |
1987 | English Masters | Steve Baddeley | 18–13, 15–18, 15–12 | Winner | |
1988 | Poona Open | Ib Frederiksen | 15–10, 15–9 | Winner | |
1988 | German Open | Xiong Guobao | 15–4, 15–6 | Winner | |
1988 | All England Open | Ib Frederiksen | 15–8, 7–15, 10–15 | Runner-up | |
1988 | French Open | Icuk Sugiarto | 10–15, 15–6, 2–15 | Runner-up | |
1988 | English Masters | Ardy Wiranata | 15–8, 15–8 | Winner | |
1988 | Scottish Open | Nick Yates | 15–7, 15–5 | Winner | |
1989 | Chinese Taipei Open | Eddy Kurniawan | 15–12, 15–3 | Winner | |
1989 | Swedish Open | Allan Budi Kusuma | 15–4, 15–4 | Winner | |
1989 | All England Open | Yang Yang | 6–15, 7–15 | Runner-up | |
1989 | German Open | Steve Baddeley | 15–6, 15–4 | Winner | |
1989 | Denmark Open | Zhao Jianhua | 15–12, 15–13 | Winner | |
1989 | Scottish Open | Jens Peter Nierhoff | 15–2, 15–5 | Winner | |
1990 | Finnish Open | Hermawan Susanto | 15–13, 4–15, 15–9 | Winner | |
1990 | Japan Open | Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen | 15–9, 15–4 | Winner | |
1990 | Denmark Open | Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen | 15–4, 10–15, 15–17 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | Scottish Open | Jesper Helledie | Nigel Tier Duncan Bridge | 15–11, 15–11 | Winner | |
1984 | Denmark Open | Jens Peter Nierhoff | Li Yongbo Tian Bingyi | 7–15, 2–15 | Runner-up |
Year | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | Danish National Championships | |||
1979 | Danish National Championships | |||
1980 | Danish National Championships | |||
1982 | Danish National Championships | |||
1983 | Danish National Championships | |||
1984 | Danish National Championships | |||
1987 | Danish National Championships | |||
1990 | Danish National Championships | |||
1991 | Danish National Championships |