Wikipedia / Margaret Beck
Wikipedia / Margaret Beck
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.
Early and personal life
Beck was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria. She married Ron Lockwood on 20 December 1975 in near London.
Playing career
An exceptional junior talent, she represented the England team, at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. She competed in the badminton events, winning a gold medal in the singles, while still in her teens.
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.
She shared the All-England women's doubles title with Gillian Gilks in 1974. She won singles at the World Invitation Tournament, a forerunner of the BWF World Championships, that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1974. 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.
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.
Achievements
World Championships
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
6–11, 1–11 | Bronze |
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
15–4, 6–15, 8–15 | Bronze |
Women's doubles
Commonwealth Games
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
5–11, 11–3, 11–8 | Gold | |||
Gillian Gilks | 8–11, 8–11 | Silver |
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand | 15–7, 15–5 | Gold |
Women's doubles
European Championships
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
11–0, 11–1 | Gold | |||
6–11, 12–10, 7–11 | Bronze | |||
Lene Køppen | 5–11, 5–11 | Bronze |
Women's singles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
13–15, 15–9, 3–15 | Bronze | ||||
Gillian Gilks Judy Hashman | 11–15, 7–15 | Silver | |||
Gillian Gilks | 15–10, 15–13 | Gold | |||
Nora Gardner | Gillian Gilks Susan Whetnall | 4–15, 8–15 | Silver |
Women's doubles
European Junior Championships
Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
11–6, 6–11, 11–12 | Silver |
Girls' singles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
5–15, 9–15 | Silver |
Girls' doubles
Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
Bronze |
Mixed doubles
International tournaments
Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
1970 | Wimbledon Open | 11–8, 11–1 | Winner | |
1971 | 12–9, 10–12, 11–6 | Winner | ||
1971 | 7–11, 5–11 | Runner-up | ||
1971 | Gillian Gilks | 9–11, 5–11 | Runner-up | |
1972 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | 6–11, 11–4, 11–4 | Winner |
Gillian Gilks | 11–8, 11–0 | Winner | ||
1973 | Eva Twedberg | 7–11, 11–3, 12–9 | Winner | |
1973 | Eva Twedberg | 12–10, 10–12, 11–0 | Winner | |
1974 | 11–1, 11–4 | Winner | ||
1974 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | 11–8, 12–10 | Winner |
1975 | Joke van Beusekom | 11–4, 11–3 | Winner | |
1975 | Gillian Gilks | 7–11, 3–11 | Runner-up | |
All England Open | Gillian Gilks | 0–11, 3–11 | Runner-up | |
1976 | Canadian Open | 11–2, 5–11, 10–12 | Runner-up | |
1976 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | 11–6, 4–11, 7–11 | Runner-up |
1977 | German Open | 11–7, 11–3 | Winner |
Women's singles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
1970 | Wimbledon Open | 6–15, 7–15 | Runner-up | ||
1971 | Julie Rickard | Gillian Gilks Nora Gardner | 15–12, 15–9 | Winner | |
1971 | Gillian Gilks | 15–6, 15–7 | Winner | ||
1972 | Gillian Gilks | 15–8, 15–8 | Winner | ||
Julie Rickard | 15–9, 8–15, 12–15 | Runner-up | |||
1972 | Scottish Open | Bridget Cooper Gillian Gilks | 15–17, 6–15 | Runner-up | |
1973 | Swedish Open | Gillian Gilks | 15–8, 15–8 | Winner | |
All England Open | Gillian Gilks | Machiko Aizawa Etsuko Takenaka | 10–15, 15–10, 11–15 | Runner-up | |
1973 | 15–12, 15–12 | Winner | |||
1973 | Bridget Cooper | 15–8, 2–15, 15–12 | Winner | ||
All England Open | Gillian Gilks | 15–5, 18–14 | Winner | ||
1974 | Gillian Gilks | 15–12, 12–15, 15–6 | Winner | ||
1974 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | Margaret Boxall Susan Whetnall | 9–15, 15–10, 10–15 | Runner-up |
1975 | Canadian Open | Joke van Beusekom | 12–15, 15–11, 15–4 | Winner | |
1975 | Gillian Gilks | Nora Gardner Susan Whetnall | 12–15, 17–14, 7–15 | Runner-up | |
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 | 5–15, 2–15 | Runner-up |
1976 | Swedish Open | Gillian Gilks | Marjan Ridder Joke van Beusekom | 15–11, 15–4 | Winner |
All England Open | Nora Perry | Etsuko Toganoo Emiko Ueno | 15–7, 3–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
Women's doubles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
1972 | 9–15, 11–15 | Runner-up | |||
1973 | 3–15, 15–18 | Runner-up | |||
1973 | Derek Talbot Gillian Gilks | 11–15, 3–15 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
References