Donna Kellogg today announced her retirement from top-class badminton.  The reigning European mixed doubles champion confirmed her decision on arriving home from her final Super Series tournament, the China Open in Shanghai, where she and Anthony Clark reached the last 16.  She will play one last event if she receives, as expected, an invitation to the BWF World Super Series Masters Finals in Malaysia from December 2-6.

Source: Badminton England.  Photos: BadmintonPhoto.com

The England and Great Britain star from Derby will leave international badminton with a long list of successes to her name after a 12-year career which began with a daunting debut for a 19-year-old in facing China at the 1997 Sudirman Cup World Team Championships in Glasgow.

But within a year she was claiming the first of her 11 English National titles with Joanne Goode and the pair went on to win 1998 Commonwealth Games gold and followed it up with European gold in 2000.

Six years later she recaptured the European crown with Gail Emms and the pair, who at their best were among the top four pairs in the world, were one win away from retaining their title last year.

In the last three years, her mixed doubles partnership has brought Kellogg even more success. She and Anthony Clark won the silver medal at the 2006 World Championships in Madrid, finishing runners-up to their great friends, Emms and Nathan Robertson.

But second best wasn’t good enough for Kellogg and Clark. Within a month they won the Denmark Open and four months later they defeated Robertson and Emms for the first time to win the first of four successive English National mixed doubles titles.

Last year also saw Clark and Kellogg lift the European title and in the last three years the pair have reached the Yonex All England, the Swiss, French and, just last month, the Denmark final – performances which helped lift them into the top five in the world rankings.

Kellogg won her 88th and final England cap against Japan last month, appropriately at Loughborough University where she gained her degree in Physical Education, Sport Science and Recreational Management.

In team events, Kellogg was a key figure in the bronze medal success at the Sudirman Cup in 2007, a member of the last two silver medal winning squads at the European Team Championships and won team gold at both the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Donna, who has battled foot and back injuries during her career, accepted that her decision to stop now means she misses the 100th Yonex All England Championships in Birmingham and the chance to defend her European title in Manchester over the next four months.

But she explained: “I have already won several European titles and there are always major championships just around the corner. I had decided some time ago that the end of the year was probably going to be the right time to stop. I have had a brilliant career and I am proud of all the medals and titles I have won.”

Of coach Andy Wood she said: “I have worked with some great coaches but I have known Andy since I attended one of his school summer camps and he has been part of my career ever since.”

And of her three-world class partners Goode, Clark and Emms, she added: “I would also like to thank Jo, Anthony and Gail for helping me achieve success at international level.

“Since Gail retired last year I have been able to focus solely on mixed and Anthony and I have enjoyed this year and had some good wins.

“I would also like to thank all the other people who have given me so much support and guidance throughout my career.”

And of the future she said: “I am looking forward to a new life with fresh challenges and spending more time with family and friends.”

Adrian Christy, BADMINTON England’s Chief Executive, said: “Donna has been an outstanding ambassador for badminton in this country. We are very lucky to have many tremendous role models, past and present, for young players to follow and admire and Donna is right up there with the best of them.

“We fully respect Donna’s decision and know that whatever the future holds it will bring her great success. I wish her well in the future.

“She has been a great servant to English and GB badminton and has played a significant role in raising the profile of our sport in this country and internationally. I very much hope she will continue to be involved in badminton in some way; she has far too much to offer.”



Donna Kellogg’s England Roll of Honours

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