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 England and won women's singles gold medal at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, 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

Women's singles

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

Women's doubles

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

Commonwealth Games

Women's singles

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

Women's doubles

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

European Championships

Women's singles

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

Women's doubles

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

European Junior Championships

Girls' singles

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

Girls' doubles

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

Mixed doubles

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

International tournaments

Women's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	Wimbledon Open	Template:Flagicon Tyna Barinaga	11–8, 11–1	Winner
1971	Irish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	12–9, 10–12, 11–6	Winner
1971	Swedish Open	Template:Flagicon Eva Twedberg	7–11, 5–11	Runner-up
1971	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	9–11, 5–11	Runner-up
1972	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	6–11, 11–4, 11–4	Winner
1973	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	11–8, 11–0	Winner
1973	Jamaica International	Template:Flagicon Eva Twedberg	7–11, 11–3, 12–9	Winner
1973	Portugal International	Template:Flagicon Eva Twedberg	12–10, 10–12, 11–0	Winner
1974	German Open	Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	11–1, 11–4	Winner
1974	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	11–8, 12–10	Winner
1975	Canadian Open	Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	11–4, 11–3	Winner
1975	Dutch Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	7–11, 3–11	Runner-up
1976	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	0–11, 3–11	Runner-up
1976	Canadian Open	Template:Flagicon Wendy Clarkson	11–2, 5–11, 10–12	Runner-up
1976	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	11–6, 4–11, 7–11	Runner-up
1977	German Open	Template:Flagicon Brigitte Steden	11–7, 11–3	Winner

Women's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	Wimbledon Open	Template:Flagicon Julie Rickard	Template:Flagicon Tyna Barinaga Template:Flagicon Nora Gardner	6–15, 7–15	Runner-up
1971	Irish Open	Template:Flagicon Julie Rickard	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks Template:Flagicon Nora Gardner	15–12, 15–9	Winner
1971	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Barbara Beckett Template:Flagicon Kay Nesbit	15–6, 15–7	Winner
1972	Swedish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Anne Flindt Template:Flagicon Pernille Kaagaard	15–8, 15–8	Winner
1972	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Julie Rickard	Template:Flagicon Machiko Aizawa Template:Flagicon Etsuko Takenaka	15–9, 8–15, 12–15	Runner-up
1972	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Helen Horton	Template:Flagicon Bridget Cooper Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	15–17, 6–15	Runner-up
1973	Swedish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Marjan Luesken Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	15–8, 15–8	Winner
1973	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Machiko Aizawa Template:Flagicon Etsuko Takenaka	10–15, 15–10, 11–15	Runner-up
1973	Canadian Open	Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	Template:Flagicon Mimi Nilsson Template:Flagicon Judi Rollick	15–12, 15–12	Winner
1973	Jamaica International	Template:Flagicon Bridget Cooper	Template:Flagicon Jennifer Dakin Template:Flagicon Barb O'Brien	15–8, 2–15, 15–12	Winner
1974	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Margaret Boxall Template:Flagicon Susan Whetnall	15–5, 18–14	Winner
1974	German Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Brigitte Steden Template:Flagicon Marieluise Zizmann	15–12, 12–15, 15–6	Winner
1974	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Margaret Boxall Template:Flagicon Susan Whetnall	9–15, 15–10, 10–15	Runner-up
1975	Canadian Open	Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	Template:Flagicon Barbara Welch Template:Flagicon Jane Youngberg	12–15, 15–11, 15–4	Winner
1975	Dutch Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Nora Gardner Template:Flagicon Susan Whetnall	12–15, 17–14, 7–15	Runner-up
1976	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Nora Gardner	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks Template:Flagicon Susan Whetnall	10–15, 10–15	Runner-up
1976	Canadian Open	Template:Flagicon Nora Gardner	Template:Flagicon Marjan Ridder Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	17–14, 15–9	Winner
1976	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Nora Gardner	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks Template:Flagicon Susan Whetnall	5–15, 2–15	Runner-up
1976	Swedish Open	Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	Template:Flagicon Marjan Ridder Template:Flagicon Joke van Beusekom	15–11, 15–4	Winner
1977	All England Open	Template:Flagicon Nora Perry	Template:Flagicon Etsuko Toganoo Template:Flagicon Emiko Ueno	15–7, 3–15, 7–15	Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1972	Scottish Open	Template:Flagicon Robert McCoig	Template:Flagicon Derek Talbot Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	9–15, 11–15	Runner-up
1973	Jamaica International	Template:Flagicon Mike Tredgett	Template:Flagicon Sture Johnsson Template:Flagicon Eva Twedberg	3–15, 15–18	Runner-up
1973	Swedish Open	Template:Flagicon Elliot Stuart	Template:Flagicon Derek Talbot Template:Flagicon Gillian Gilks	11–15, 3–15	Runner-up