Heather Ward

Heather Maureen Ward (later Heather Nielsen; born October 1938) is a former English badminton player who won international championships and competed at an elite level during a two decade span from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.

Heather Ward (married name Heather Nielsen)
Personal information
Country	England
Born	October 1938 (age 86)[1] Surrey
Medal record Representing ENG All England Open Badminton Championships 1958 London doubles 1959 London singles

Biography

Noted for her grace and athleticism, she won women's doubles with American Margaret Varner at the 1958 All England Badminton Championships (then the world's most prestigious tournament for individual competitors).^[2] The following year Ward interrupted the reign of the great Judy Devlin (Hashman) by defeating her in the 1959 All England Badminton Championships women's singles final.^[3] During the 1960s her badminton career was hampered by a variety of factors including athletic injury, marriage and motherhood, and residence in South Africa. In 1970, however, she returned to the 1970 All England Badminton Championships to reach the final of women's singles before bowing to Japan's Etsuko Takenaka.^[4] Continuing to compete, she was an All-England singles quarter-finalist as late as 1975.^[5]

She married Egon Nielsen and they had four children Bjorn, Gorm, Belinda and Anders Nielsen.^[6]

Achievements

International tournaments (11 titles, 10 runners-up)

Women's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1956	Scottish Open	Iris Rogers	11–6, 4–11, 5–11	Runner-up
1957	Irish Open	Iris Rogers	9–12, 12–11, 1–11	Runner-up
1958	Scottish Open	Iris Rogers	6–11, 11–3, 11–4	Winner
1958	Welsh International	P. E. Broad	11–1, 11–4	Winner
1959	Irish Open	Iris Rogers	11–4, 11–8	Winner
1959	All England Open	Judy Devlin	11–7, 3–11, 11–4	Winner
1966	Dutch Open	Angela Bairstow	7–11, 11–8, 5–11	Runner-up
1970	All England Open	Etsuko Takenaka	3–11, 4–11	Runner-up

Women's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1956	Scottish Open	M. Crockett	Iris Rogers June Timperley	7–15, 3–15	Runner-up
1957	Irish Open	Barbara Carpenter	Iris Rogers June Timperley	13–18, 15–11, 2–15	Runner-up
1957	Swedish Open	Hanne Roest	Iris Rogers June Timperley	2–15, 7–15	Runner-up
1958	Scottish Open	Barbara Carpenter	Iris Rogers June Timperley	13–15, 7–15	Runner-up
1958	All England Open	Margaret Varner Bloss	Iris Rogers June Timperley	15–12, 15–2	Winner
1958	Welsh International	P. E. Broad	B. Maxwell J. Davidson	15–5, 15–6	Winner
1959	Irish Open	Barbara Carpenter	Iris Rogers June Timperley	6–15, 5–15	Runner-up
1959	Belgian International	Barbara Carpenter	Tonny Holst-Christensen Inger Kjærgaard	15–8, 15–9	Winner
1966	Denmark Open	Imre Rietveld	Karin Jørgensen Ulla Strand	4–15, 12–15	Runner-up
1966	Dutch Open	Jenny Horton	Agnes Geene Imre Rietveld	17–14, 15–3	Winner
1974	Swedish Open	Barbara Giles	Brigitte Steden Marieluise Wackerow	6–15, 15–13, 15–10	Winner

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1958	Welsh International	Hugh Findlay	Tony Jordan P. E. Broad	15–11, 15–7	Winner
1959	Belgian International	Hugh Findlay	Ronald Lockwood Barbara Carpenter	15–11, 15–11	Winner