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.

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). 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. 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. Continuing to compete, she was an All-England singles quarter-finalist as late as 1975.

She married Egon Nielsen and they had four children Bjorn, Gorm, Belinda and Anders Nielsen.

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