Morten Frost

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.

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. Frost also worked as a commentator on the BBC's TV coverage of the badminton tournament at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

In 2015, Frost accepted a contract to be technical director of the Malaysian national team until the end of 2020. 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. In September 2017, Frost resigned from his position in Malaysia, citing personal reasons.

In February 2019, Frost signed a one-year contract to coach India's junior players at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy.

In 2020, Frost has been appointed as the performance director of Badminton England.

Achievements

World Championships Men's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1985 Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada Han Jian 18–14, 10–15, 8–15 Silver Silver 1987 Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China Yang Yang 2–15, 15–13, 12–15 Silver Silver

World Cup Men's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1985 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Icuk Sugiarto 11–15, 15–8, 4–15 Silver Silver 1986 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Icuk Sugiarto 15–5, 6–15, 11–15 Silver Silver

Men's doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1983 Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Jens Peter Nierhoff Bobby Ertanto Christian Hadinata 11–15, 15–4, 13–15 Bronze Bronze

World Games Men's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1981 San Jose Civic Auditorium, California, United States Chen Changjie 15–9, 7–15, 12–15 Silver Silver

European Championships Men's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1980 Martinihal, Groningen, Netherlands Flemming Delfs 4–15, 15–1, 14–17 Silver Silver 1984 Guild Hall, Preston, England Jens Peter Nierhoff 15–8, 15–2 Gold Gold 1986 Fyrishallen, Uppsala, Sweden Ib Frederiksen 15–8, 15–2 Gold Gold 1988 Badmintonsenteret, Kristiansand, Norway Darren Hall 15–8, 12–15, 9–15 Silver Silver

Men's doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1984 Guild Hall, Preston, England Jens Peter Nierhoff Martin Dew Mike Tredgett 8–15, 10–15 Silver Silver

European Junior Championships Boys' singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1975 Copenhagen, Denmark Bruno Wackfelt 15–18, 2–15 Silver Silver

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

Men's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1984 Scottish Open Jesper Helledie Duncan Bridge Nigel Tier 15–11, 15–11 Winner 1984 Denmark Open Jens Peter Nierhoff Li Yongbo Tian Bingyi 7–15, 2–15 Runner-up

IBF International Men's singles Year Tournament Partner Score Result 1977 USSR International Winner 1977 Norwegian International Thomas Angarth 15–2, 15–5 Winner 1978 Nordic Championships Flemming Delfs 5–15, 15–6, 15–4 Winner 1979 Dutch Open Flemming Delfs 6–15, 15–3, 15–16 Runner-up 1979 Denmark Open Flemming Delfs 7–15, 7–15 Runner-up 1979 English Masters Prakash Padukone 4–15, 11–15 Runner-up 1979 Canadian Open Flemming Delfs 15–7, 14–17, 15–7 Winner 1979 Randers Open Flemming Delfs 10–15, 15–18 Runner-up 1979 Nordic Championships Flemming Delfs 15–6, 15–4 Winner 1980 Copenhagen Cup Prakash Padukone 15–8, 10–15, 15–9 Winner 1980 Denmark Open Prakash Padukone 7–15, 13–18 Runner-up 1980 Canadian Open Steen Fladberg 15–7, 15–11 Winner 1980 Nordic Championships Thomas Kihlström 15–4, 15–7 Winner 1981 Denmark Open Prakash Padukone 15–7, 15–5 Winner 1981 Swedish Open Lius Pongoh 14–18, 13–15 Runner-up 1981 Scandinavian Cup Prakash Padukone 15–4, 15–11 Winner 1981 Nordic Championships Flemming Delfs 18–17, 15–5 Winner 1982 Scottish Open Flemming Delfs 15–4, 15–2 Winner 1982 German Open Jens Peter Nierhoff 15–12, 13–15, 15–8 Winner 1982 Denmark Open Prakash Padukone 15–7, 15–8 Winner 1982 All England Open Luan Jin 11–15, 15–2, 15–7 Winner 1982 Nordic Championships Jens Peter Nierhoff 15–2, 15–6 Winner 1982 Scandinavian Cup Prakash Padukone 15–3, 15–4 Winner 1983 Scottish Open Kevin Jolly 15–2, 15–6 Winner 1983 Dutch Open Prakash Padukone 15–11, 15–4 Winner 1983 Denmark Open Winner 1983 Nordic Championships Michael Kjeldsen 10–15, 15–12, 15–1 Winner 1983 India Masters Prakash Padukone 15–7, 15–13 Winner 1984 English Masters Han Jian 15–8, 18–15 Winner 1984 Dutch Masters Han Jian 9–15, 14–18 Runner-up 1984 Nordic Championships Jens Peter Nierhoff 17–14, 15–6 Winner 1984 Scottish Open Zhao Jianhua 12–15, 15–8, 9–15 Runner-up 1984 Welsh International Darren Hall 15–2, 15–6 Winner 1985 Malaysia Masters Misbun Sidek 15–4, 15–7 Winner 1986 Bell's Open Ib Frederiksen 15–6, 15–5 Winner 1983 Nordic Championships Michael Kjeldsen 12–15, 9–15 Runner-up 1988 Nordic Championships Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen 15–6, 15–6 Winner

Men's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1976 Czechoslovakian International Steen Fladberg Wolfgang Bochow Roland Maywald 12–15, 8–15 Runner-up 1977 USSR International Steen Skovgaard Winner 1977 Norwegian International Mogens Neergaard Ola Eriksson Christian Lundberg 9–15, 6–15 Runner-up 1979 Swedish Open Steen Fladberg Flemming Delfs Steen Skovgaard 12–15, 15–12, 10–15 Runner-up 1979 Dutch Open Steen Fladberg Elliot Stuart Derek Talbot 8–15, 17–18 Runner-up 1979 Canadian Open Flemming Delfs Ade Chandra Christian Hadinata 5–15, 1–15 Runner-up 1980 Copenhagen Cup Steen Fladberg Flemming Delfs Steen Skovgaard 8–15, 6–15 Runner-up 1980 Nordic Championships Steen Fladberg Claes Nordin Lars Wengberg 3–15, 15–3, 15–11 Winner 1981 Nordic Championships Steen Fladberg Flemming Delfs Steen Skovgaard 15–9, 15–5 Winner 1981 Scandinavian Cup Steen Fladberg Luan Jin Lin Jiangli 11–15, 15–6, 12–15 Runner-up 1982 German Open Steen Fladberg Jiang Guoliang He Shangquan 15–5, 15–6 Winner 1982 Nordic Championships Steen Fladberg Jesper Helledie Steen Skovgaard 15–6, 15–18, 15–6 Winner 1983 Nordic Championships Jens Peter Nierhoff Stefan Karlsson Thomas Kihlström 12–15, 15–17 Runner-up 1984 English Masters Jens Peter Nierhoff Hadibowo Christian Hadinata 3–15, 3–15 Runner-up 1984 Scottish Open Jens Peter Nierhoff Andy Goode Nigel Tier 12–15, 15–8, 9–15 Runner-up 1984 Welsh International Martin Dew Billy Gilliland Dan Travers 8–15, 15–18 Runner-up 1986 Nordic Championships Steen Fladberg Jan-Eric Antonsson Pär-Gunnar Jönsson 15–10, 15–12 Winner

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1977 Norwegian International Pia Nielsen Mogens Neergaard Inge Borgstrøm 6–15, 3–15 Runner-up 1981 English Masters Lene Køppen Mike Tredgett Nora Perry 5–15, 6–15 Runner-up 1982 Scottish Open Lene Køppen Billy Gilliland Gillian Gilks 13–18, 9–15 Runner-up 1983 Scottish Open Nettie Nielsen Rob Ridder Marjan Ridder 15–9, 6–15, 15–12 Winner

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