Gillian Clark (badminton)


Gillian Margaret Clark is an English badminton commentator and former badminton player who specialized in doubles.

Career

Clark was awarded Distinguished Service Award by the International Badminton Federation in 1995.

World Championships

Clark won two bronze medals at the World Championships a decade apart; for women's doubles in 1983, and for mixed doubles in 1993.

Olympic Games

Clark competed in badminton at the 1992 Summer Olympics in women's doubles with Julie Bradbury. In the first round they defeated Erma Sulistianingsih and Rosiana Tendean of Indonesia and in the second round Katrin Schmidt and Kerstin Ubben of Germany. In the quarterfinals they were beaten by the eventual gold medalists, Hwang Hye-young and Chung So-young of Korea, 5–15, 5–15.

All England Championship

She reached the finals of the prestigious All England Open Championships; in the 1985 mixed doubles with Thomas Kihlström, the 1990 doubles with Gillian Gowers and 1994 the mixed with Chris Hunt.

Commonwealth Games

Clark has won twelve Commonwealth Games medals spanning four Games from 1982 until 1994. The medal breakdown was six gold medals, three silver medals all in the doubles and three bronze medals in the singles and mixed doubles.

European Championships

She won four gold medals at the biennial European Championships; three consecutively in women's doubles and one in mixed doubles.

Personal life

Today Gillian Margaret Clark a.k.a. Gill Clark is known as the “voice of badminton” and has been the lead commentator for the Badminton World Federation for the past 25 years. Clark as a former world No. 1 and a six-time Commonwealth Games gold medal winner has experienced making the transition to a leading badminton commentator challenging in the beginning. Gillian overcame the challenges, gradually becoming a worldwide beloved figure in the commentary booth called "oma Gill" by many. Her signature catchphrase, “I don’t believe it,” has become synonymous with extraordinary moments on the badminton court.
Clark was harassed by a stalker for more than 10 years since 2001. The perpetrator was diagnosed with persistent delusional personality disorder and jailed for 2 years.

Achievements

World Championships

Women's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1983Brøndbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark

World Cup

Women's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1983Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Commonwealth Games

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1982Chandler Sports Hall, Brisbane, Australia

European Championships

Women's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1982Sporthalle, Böblingen, West Germany

European Junior Championships

Girls' doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
1979Mülheim an der Ruhr, West Germany

IBF World Grand Prix (26 titles, 25 runners-up)

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation since 1983.
Women's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
1983Japan Open

IBF International

Women's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
1981French Opensilver2