On behalf of everybody at Badminton England, we want to place on document our honest due to Combined Doubles pair Lauren Smith and Marcus Ellis who’ve at present introduced their determination to step away from the elite programme.
Each individually and as a pair, Lauren and Marcus have represented England and Nice Britain with dedication, delight and positivity and we want to want them each the easiest of luck within the subsequent chapter of their careers.
35-year-old Ellis moved away from his hometown, Huddersfield, on the age of 17 – relocating to Milton Keynes to dedicate himself to the Badminton England programme on the Nationwide Badminton Centre. He received his first title in 2009 with Heather Olver on the Belgium Worldwide.
Most notably Marcus received an historic bronze on the Rio 2016 Olympic Video games with associate Chris Langridge – their medal was the primary males’s doubles Olympic medal for Group GB. He and Chris went on to win Commonwealth Video games and European Video games Gold.
Cumbrian Lauren received her first worldwide title in 2010, whereas at college, and joined the Nationwide Squad in Milton Keynes two years later. She went on to play at two Olympic Video games, successful a number of Commonwealth Video games and European medals.
Collectively, Marcus and Lauren reached a career-high world rating of seven, claimed the European Video games Gold in Minsk 2019, received 5 World Tour titles and reached the semi-finals of the Yonex All England on two events.
After a final eight end in Tokyo, qualification for this summer time’s Olympic Video games proved simply past Lauren and Marcus this 12 months. Nonetheless, the pair have left an enduring legacy which we have now little doubt will serve to encourage these at the beginning of their journey with Badminton England.
Head of Efficiency at Badminton England, Mark Beecher, stated: “I want to take this chance to thank each Lauren and Marcus for all their unbelievable dedication to the programme, their never-ending dedication to growing their sport and the bar they’ve set for others who’ve watched them play, educated alongside them or competed towards them throughout greater than a decade with Badminton England. They’ve competed on the very highest stage in our sport and we’re happy with all they’ve achieved.”
Good luck for the long run Lauren and Marcus!