Thomas Kihlström


Thomas Kihlström is a Swedish retired badminton player known for his agility and tactical astuteness. Though an impressive singles player early in his career, his greatest successes came in men's doubles in partnership with Bengt Fröman and Stefan Karlsson and in mixed doubles with a variety of partners.

Career

Kihlström won the 1983 IBF World Championships in mixed doubles with Nora Perry. He also won 16 medals at the European Championships, two of them in men's singles, two in mixed doubles, five in men's doubles and 7 in team competition. He shared two All-England men's doubles titles, one with Bengt Fröman in 1976 and the other with Stefan Karlsson in 1983. He also shared the All-England mixed doubles title with Nora Perry in 1983. From 1973 to 1988, Kihlström captured a total of twenty-four events at the Swedish National Championships. Kihlström competed during an era in which world class badminton became increasingly event-specialized. His skill as an "all-arounder" is demonstrated by the facts that he is the only player to have won medals in all three events, men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles at the BWF World Championships, and is the only man to have won each of these three events at the Japan Open.

Achievements

World Championships

Men's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1977Malmö Isstadion, Malmö, Sweden

World Cup

Mixed doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1983Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

World Games

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1981San Jose Civic Auditorium, California, United States

European Championships

Men's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1974Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria

IBF World Grand Prix

The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.
Men's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
1983Swedish Open

International tournaments

Men's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
1972Nordic Championshipssilver2