English badminton player (1952-2023)
Badminton player
Margaret Beck |
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Personal information |
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Country | England |
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Born | 9 January 1952 Whitehaven, Cumbria, England |
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Died | 21 May 2023(2023-05-21) (aged 71) Whitehaven, Cumbria, England |
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Margaret Beck (later Margaret Lockwood; 9 January 1952 – 21 May 2023) was a badminton player from England who ranked among the world's best during most of the 1970s.[1]
Playing career
An exceptional junior talent, she represented England and won women's singles gold medal at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, while still in her teens.[2][3][4]
In 1973, Beck won the women's singles at the All-England Championships, which, aside from the international team championships (Uber Cup and Thomas Cup), was then the world's most prestigious tournament.[2]
She shared the All-England women's doubles title with Gillian Gilks in 1974.[2] She won singles at the World Invitation Tournament, a forerunner of the BWF World Championships, that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1974.[5] In 1974 she represented England and won a gold and silver medals in the doubles and singles, at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.[6]
After marrying in 1975 she competed under her married name of Margaret Lockwood and reached the singles and doubles final at the 1976 All England Open Badminton Championships.
Her other international singles titles included the European Badminton Championships (1972), and the Canadian (1975), Irish (1971), Portuguese (1973), Scottish (1972, 1974), and South African (1976) Opens. She also won five English National singles titles (against opposition that included Gillian Gilks), and a dozen or more international doubles titles.
Noted for her rigorous fitness regimen, she developed a problem with her knee which was seriously aggravated during the first World Badminton Championships in 1977. The singles and doubles bronze medals that she earned there would be her last. Despite surgeries and attempted rehabilitation she never played serious competitive badminton again.[2]
Achievements
World Championships
Commonwealth Games
European Championships
European Junior Championships
International tournaments
Women's doubles Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
1970 | Wimbledon Open | Julie Rickard | Tyna Barinaga
Nora Gardner | 6–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
1971 | Irish Open | Julie Rickard | | | Winner |
1971 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | Barbara Beckett
Kay Nesbit | 15–6, 15–7 | Winner |
1972 | Swedish Open | Gillian Gilks | Anne Flindt
Pernille Kaagaard | 15–8, 15–8 | Winner |
1972 | All England Open | Julie Rickard | Machako Aizawa
Etsuko Takenaka | 15–9, 8–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |
1972 | Scottish Open | Helen Horton | Bridget Cooper
Gillian Gilks | | Runner-up |
1973 | Swedish Open | Gillian Gilks | Marjan Luesken
Joke van Beusekom | 15–8, 15–8 | Winner |
1973 | All England Open | Gillian Gilks | Machako Aizawa
Etsuko Takenaka | 10–15, 15–10, 11–15 | Runner-up |
1973 | Canadian Open | Joke van Beusekom | Mimi Nilsson
Judi Rollick | | Winner |
1973 | Jamaica International | Bridget Cooper | Jennifer Dakin
Barb O'Brien | | Winner |
1974 | All England Open | Gillian Gilks | Margaret Boxall
Susan Whetnall | 15–5, 18–14 | Winner |
1974 | German Open | Gillian Gilks | Brigitte Steden
Marieluise Zizmann | 15–12, 12–15, 15–6 | Winner |
1974 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | Margaret Boxall
Susan Whetnall | | Runner-up |
1975 | Canadian Open | Joke van Beusekom | Barbara Welch
Jane Youngberg | 12–15, 15–11, 15–4 | Winner |
1975 | Dutch Open | Gillian Gilks | Nora Gardner
Susan Whetnall | 12–15, 17–14, 7–15 | Runner-up |
1976 | All England Open | Nora Gardner | Gillian Gilks
Susan Whetnall | 10–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
1976 | Canadian Open | Nora Gardner | Marjan Ridder
Joke van Beusekom | 17–14, 15–9 | Winner |
1976 | Scottish Open | Nora Gardner | Gillian Gilks
Susan Whetnall | | Runner-up |
1976 | Swedish Open | Gillian Gilks | | | Winner |
1977 | All England Open | Nora Perry | Etsuko Toganoo
Emiko Ueno | 15–7, 3–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
References
- ^ Jenkinson, Lucy (26 May 2023). "Tributes to world champion badminton player from Kells, Margaret Beck". The Cumberland News. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Pat (1983). Guinness Book of Badminton. Enfield, Middlesex, England: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 106–109, 143.
- ^ "1970 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Edinburgh, 1970 Team". Team England.
- ^ "World Invitation Tournament is Huge Success," World Badminton, October 1974, 2, 3.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.