Kelly Sibley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kelly Sibley |
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Kelly Sibley at the Pro B French Championships in 2006
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Kelly Michelle Sibley | ||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  England |
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| Residence | Nottingham | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 May 1988 Leamington Spa, England |
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| Playing style | Right Hand Attacking Shakehand | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 68 kg (150 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kelly Sibley (born May 21, 1988) is a former professional table tennis player and now a coach from England. She was a top player who won many championships, including singles, girls doubles, and mixed doubles at the UK Junior Championships. Kelly also proudly represented England in big international events like the Commonwealth Games, European Championships, and World Championships.
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Early Life and Training
Kelly Sibley started playing table tennis when she was 8 years old. She joined the Lillington Free Church table tennis club in Lillington, Leamington Spa. Her mom, Lynn Bolitho, used to play table tennis at a high level, and she inspired Kelly to start.
In 2000, Kelly was chosen to represent England at the English Schools Championships. This was a big step in her young career.
When she was 13, Kelly was invited to live and train at the National Training Centre in Nottingham. There, she was coached by Alan Cooke, a well-known table tennis coach. Later, she moved to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield to continue her training.
Commonwealth Games Success
Kelly Sibley represented England at the Commonwealth Games multiple times. She first competed in Melbourne, Australia, in 2006, and again in Delhi, India, in 2010. In Delhi, her team finished in fourth place in the women's event.
At the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Kelly won her first medal. She earned a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event, playing alongside Danny Reed. This was a very exciting moment for her.
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Kelly won another bronze medal. This time, it was in the women's team event. Her team played very well and beat Australia in the play-off game to secure the medal.
Other Major Achievements
Kelly also won a bronze medal in the Ladies Doubles at the 2009 Commonwealth Championships. In 2013, she earned a team silver medal at the Commonwealth Championships. She also helped her team win a Division Two Gold Medal at the 2008 World Team Championships in China.
In 2011, Kelly had an amazing performance at the European Championships in Poland. She won 10 international matches in a row. This helped the England Women's team move up to the top level of competition.
Olympic Games and National Titles
Kelly Sibley competed in the London 2012 Olympics. She was part of the team event, where she played against North Korea in the first round. It was a huge achievement to represent her country at the Olympics.
Throughout her career, Kelly won many national titles in England. She won singles championships at Cadet, Junior, Under-21, and Senior levels. She also won girls' doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles. In March 2015, she won the women's singles national championship.
In June 2015, Kelly was part of the Great Britain table tennis team that competed at the first-ever European Games in Baku.
Retirement and Coaching Career
Shortly after the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Kelly Sibley announced that she was retiring from playing professional table tennis. She decided to focus on her new job as the head coach at the University of Nottingham.
During her playing career, Kelly was supported by sponsors like Wright Hassell, Building and Plumbing Supplies, and the sports betting site OLBG.com.
See also
In Spanish: Kelly Sibley para niños
- List of England players at the World Team Table Tennis Championships
