Margaret Beck
Personal information
Country	England
Born	9 January 1952 Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
Died	21 May 2023(2023-05-21) (aged 71) Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
Medal record Women's badminton Representing  England World Championships 1977 Malmö Women's singles 1977 Malmö Women's doubles Commonwealth Games 1970 Edinburgh Women's singles 1974 Christchurch Women's doubles 1974 Christchurch Women's singles European Championships 1970 Port Talbot Women's doubles 1972 Karlskrona Women's singles 1972 Karlskrona Women's doubles 1974 Vienna Women's doubles 1974 Vienna Women's singles 1976 Dublin Women's doubles 1976 Dublin Women's singles European Mixed Team Championships 1972 Karlskrona Mixed team 1974 Vienna Mixed team 1976 Dublin Mixed team European Junior Championships 1969 Leidschendam-Voorburg Girls' singles 1969 Leidschendam-Voorburg Girls' doubles 1969 Leidschendam-Voorburg Mixed doubles

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

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1977	Malmö Isstadion, Malmö, Sweden	Lene Køppen	6–11, 1–11	Bronze

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1977	Malmö Isstadion, Malmö, Sweden	Nora Perry	Marjan Ridder Joke van Beusekom	15–4, 6–15, 8–15	Bronze

Commonwealth Games

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	Edinburgh, Scotland	Gillian Perrin	5–11, 11–3, 11–8	Gold
1974	Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand	Gillian Gilks	8–11, 8–11	Silver

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1974	Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand	Gillian Perrin	Margaret Boxall Susan Whetnall	15–7, 15–5	Gold

European Championships

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1972	Karlskrona, Sweden	Gillian Gilks	11–0, 11–1	Gold
1974	Vienna, Austria	Lene Køppen	6–11, 12–10, 7–11	Bronze
1976	Dublin, Ireland	Lene Køppen	5–11, 5–11	Bronze

Women's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	Port Talbot, Wales	Gillian Perrin	Irmgard Latz Marieluise Wackerow	13–15, 15–9, 3–15	Bronze
1972	Karlskrona, Sweden	Julie Rickard	Gillian Gilks Judy Hashman	11–15, 7–15	Silver
1974	Vienna, Austria	Gillian Gilks	Nora Gardner Susan Whetnall	15–10, 15–13	Gold
1976	Dublin, Ireland	Nora Gardner	Gillian Gilks Susan Whetnall	4–15, 8–15	Silver

European Junior Championships

Girls' singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1969	Leidschendam-Voorburg, Netherlands	Anne Berglund	11–6, 6–11, 11–12	Silver

Girls' doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1969	Leidschendam-Voorburg, Netherlands	Carol Whightman	Marjan Luesken Joke van Beusekom	5–15, 9–15	Silver

Mixed doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1969	Leidschendam-Voorburg, Netherlands	Ray Stevens	Girt Perneklo Karin Lindquist		Bronze

International tournaments

Women's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	Wimbledon Open	Tyna Barinaga	11–8, 11–1	Winner
1971	Irish Open			Winner
1971	Swedish Open	Eva Twedberg		Runner-up
1971	Scottish Open	Gillian Gilks	9–11, 5–11	Runner-up
1972	Scottish Open	Gillian Gilks		Winner
1973	All England Open	Gillian Gilks	11–8, 11–0	Winner
1973	Jamaica International	Eva Twedberg		Winner
1973	Portugal International			Winner
1974	German Open	Joke van Beusekom	11–1, 11–4	Winner
1974	Scottish Open	Gillian Gilks		Winner
1975	Canadian Open	Joke van Beusekom	11–4, 11–3	Winner
1975	Dutch Open	Gillian Gilks	7–11, 3–11	Runner-up
1976	All England Open	Gillian Gilks	0–11, 3–11	Runner-up
1976	Canadian Open	Wendy Clarkson	11–2, 5–11, 10–12	Runner-up
1976	Scottish Open	Gillian Gilks		Runner-up
1977	German Open	Brigitte Steden		Winner

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

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1972	Scottish Open	Robert McCoig	Derek Talbot Gillian Gilks		Runner-up
1973	Jamaica International	Mike Tredgett	Sture Johnsson Eva Twedberg		Runner-up

References