# Gillian Clark (badminton)

Gillian Margaret Clark MBE (born 2 September 1961) 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 (one with Gillian Gowers in the doubles, one with Chris Hunt in the mixed doubles and four in the team event), 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 (1982, 1984, and 1986) in women's doubles and one in mixed doubles (1988).

## Personal life

Today Gillian Margaret Clark a.k.a. Gill Clark is known as the “voice of badminton” and she has been the lead commentator for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) 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
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Brøndbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark | Gillian Gilks | Lin Ying Wu Dixi | 3–15, 17–18 | Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1993 | National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England | Nick Ponting | Thomas Lund Catrine Bengtsson | 8–15, 15–18 | Bronze |

### World Cup

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Gillian Gilks | Wu Jianqiu Xu Rong | 5–15, 3–15 | Bronze |
| 1984 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | Nora Perry | Wu Jianqiu Xu Rong | 15–12, 9–15, 10–15 | Bronze |
| 1991 | Macau Forum, Macau | Nettie Nielsen | Hwang Hye-young Chung So-young | 5–15, 16–18 | Bronze |
| 1992 | Guangdong Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China | Christine Magnusson | Lin Yanfen Yao Fen | | Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1986 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | Steen Fladberg | Eddy Hartono Verawaty Fadjrin | 8–15, 15–17 | Silver |
| 1987 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Steen Fladberg | Wang Pengren Shi Fangjing | 11–15, 15–1, 4–15 | Silver |
| 1990 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia | Henrik Svarrer | Rudy Gunawan Rosiana Tendean | 11–15, 9–15 | Bronze |
| 1993 | Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India | Nick Ponting | Peter Axelsson Gillian Gowers | 12–15, 11–15 | Bronze |

### Commonwealth Games

Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1982 | Chandler Sports Hall, Brisbane, Australia | Karen Beckman | Walkover | Bronze |
| 1986 | Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland | Denyse Julien | 11–3, 11–3 | Bronze |
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1982 | Chandler Sports Hall, Brisbane, Australia | Karen Beckman | Claire Backhouse-Sharpe Johanne Falardeau | 15–13, 16–18, 4–15 | Silver |
| 1986 | Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland | Gillian Gowers | Denyse Julien Johanne Falardeau | 15–6, 15–7 | Gold |
| 1990 | Auckland Badminton Hall, Auckland, New Zealand | Gillian Gowers | Fiona Smith Sara Sankey | 14–18, 15–2, 9–15 | Silver |
| 1994 | McKinnon Gym, Victoria, Canada | Julie Bradbury | Joanne Muggeridge Joanne Wright | 9–15, 11–15 | Silver |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1990 | Auckland Badminton Hall, Auckland, New Zealand | Andy Goode | Steve Baddeley Gillian Gowers | Walkover | Bronze |
| 1994 | McKinnon Gym, Victoria, Canada | Chris Hunt | Simon Archer Julie Bradbury | 15–11, 15–4 | Gold |

### European Championships

Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1982 | Sporthalle, Böblingen, West Germany | Gillian Gilks | Nora Perry Jane Webster | 15–3, 15–11 | Gold |
| 1984 | Guild Hall, Preston, England | Karen Chapman | Karen Beckman Gillian Gilks | 15–17, 15–12, 15–2 | Gold |
| 1986 | Fyrishallen, Uppsala, Sweden | Gillian Gowers | Dorte Kjær Nettie Nielsen | 15–11, 15–12 | Gold |
| 1988 | Badmintonsenteret, Kristiansand, Norway | Julie Munday | Dorte Kjær Nettie Nielsen | 7–15, 4–15 | Silver |
| 1990 | Luzhniki, Moscow, Soviet Union | Gillian Gowers | Eline Coene Erica van Dijck | 10–15, 15–11, 15–17 | Bronze |
| 1994 | Maaspoort Sports and Events, Den Bosch, Netherlands | Julie Bradbury | Lim Xiaoqing Christine Magnusson | 11–15, 15–12, 14–16 | Bronze |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1984 | Guild Hall, Preston, England | Nigel Tier | Martin Dew Gillian Gilks | 11–15, 8–15 | Bronze |
| 1988 | Badmintonsenteret, Kristiansand, Norway | Steen Fladberg | Alex Meijer Erica van Dijck | 17–16, 4–15, 15–10 | Gold |

### European Junior Championships

Girls' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1979 | Mülheim an der Ruhr, West Germany | Sally Leadbeater | Charlotte Pilgaard Bettina Kristensen | 15–12, 15–9 | Gold |

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

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) since 1983.
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1983 | Japan Open | Gillian Gilks | Nora Perry Jane Webster | 15–6, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1983 | Dutch Open | Gillian Gilks | Sally Podger Karen Chapman | 15–8, 17–16 | Winner |
| 1984 | German Open | Karen Chapman | Karen Beckman Gillian Gilks | 14–17, 14–18 | Runner-up |
| 1984 | Malaysia Open | Christine Magnusson | Wu Jianqiu Guan Weizhen | 10–15, 13–15 | Runner-up |
| 1985 | Chinese Taipei Open | Nora Perry | Karen Beckman Gillian Gilks | 10–15, 17–14, 15–0 | Winner |
| 1985 | Dutch Open | Gillian Gowers | Eline Coene Erica van Dijck | 15–4, 15–2 | Winner |
| 1985 | Malaysia Open | Gillian Gowers | Verawaty Fadjrin Dwi Elmyati | 15–10, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1985 | India Open | Gillian Gowers | Hwang Sun-ae Kang Haeng-suk | 7–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1985 | English Masters | Gillian Gowers | Karen Beckman Sara Sankey | 11–15, 5–15 | Runner-up |
| 1986 | Carlton-Intersport-Cup | Gillian Gowers | Dorte Kjær Nettie Nielsen | 15–9, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1986 | Denmark Open | Gillian Gowers | Zheng Yuli Gu Jiaming | 9–15, 18–15, 17–16 | Winner |
| 1986 | English Masters | Gillian Gowers | Maria Bengtsson Christine Magnusson | 5–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1987 | Poona Open | Gillian Gowers | Sarwendah Kusumawardhani Erma Sulistianingsih | 15–3, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1987 | German Open | Gillian Gowers | Lin Ying Guan Weizhen | 6–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 1987 | English Masters | Gillian Gowers | Dorte Kjær Nettie Nielsen | 8–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1987 | Denmark Open | Gillian Gowers | Atsuko Tokuda Yoshiko Yonekura | 7–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 1988 | Japan Open | Gillian Gowers | Chung Myung-hee Chung So-young | 2–15, 15–7, 6–15 | Runner-up |
| 1988 | German Open | Gillian Gowers | Lao Yujing Zheng Yuli | 8–15, 15–3, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 1988 | Dutch Open | Sara Sankey | Dorte Kjær Nettie Nielsen | 9–15, 15–9, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1988 | English Masters | Sara Sankey | Lin Ying Guan Weizhen | 6–15, 8–15 | Runner-up |
| 1988 | Scottish Open | Sara Sankey | Dorte Kjær Gitte Paulsen | Walkover | Winner |
| 1989 | Japan Open | Julie Munday | Chung Myung-hee Chung So-young | 15–4, 10–15, 15–3 | Winner |
| 1989 | Poona Open | Sara Sankey | Maria Bengtsson Christine Magnusson | 4–15, 15–13, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 1989 | German Open | Gillian Gowers | Erma Sulistianingsih Rosiana Tendean | 15–10, 2–15, 9–15 | Runner-up |
| 1989 | Dutch Open | Gillian Gowers | Pernille Dupont Grete Mogensen | 11–15, 9–15 | Runner-up |
| 1989 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gowers | Karen Chapman Sara Sankey | 15–10, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1990 | Chinese Taipei Open | Gillian Gowers | Chun Sung-suk Shim Eun-jung | 15–3, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1990 | Finnish Open | Gillian Gowers | Maria Bengtsson Christine Magnusson | 12–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1990 | All England Open | Gillian Gowers | Chung Myung-hee Hwang Hye-young | 15–6, 4–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 1990 | Singapore Open | Gillian Gowers | Maria Bengtsson Christine Magnusson | 15–12, 15–13 | Winner |
| 1990 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gowers | Catrine Bengtsson Maria Bengtsson | 16–18, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1991 | Japan Open | Gillian Gowers | Guan Weizhen Nong Qunhua | 6–15, 18–15, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1991 | Finnish Open | Nettie Nielsen | Pan Li Wu Yuhong | 15–9, 14–17, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1991 | Malaysia Open | Nettie Nielsen | Hwang Hye-young Chung So-young | 10–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1991 | Swedish Open | Nettie Nielsen | Catrine Bengtsson Maria Bengtsson | 13–15, 15–9, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1992 | Indonesia Open | Gillian Gowers | Erma Sulistianingsih Rosiana Tendean | 12–15, 9–15 | Runner-up |
| 1992 | Singapore Open | Gillian Gowers | Chen Ying Sheng Wenqing | 16–18, 15–4, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1992 | World Grand Prix Finals | Gillian Gowers | Lin Yanfen Yao Fen | 7–15, 16–17 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Swiss Open | Joanne Wright | Marina Andrievskaya Marina Yakusheva | 15–8, 15–7 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1984 | Malaysia Open | Martin Dew | Nigel Tier Gillian Gowers | 15–6, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1985 | All England Open | Thomas Kihlström | Billy Gilliland Nora Perry | 10–15, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1986 | Indonesia Open | Steen Fladberg | Steve Baddeley Gillian Gowers | 15–4, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1987 | Chinese Taipei Open | Steen Fladberg | Billy Gilliland Gillian Gowers | 15–7, 14–18, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1987 | Malaysia Open | Steen Fladberg | Billy Gilliland Gillian Gowers | 15–7, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1988 | Poona Open | Steen Fladberg | Nils Skeby Dorte Kjær | 15–8, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1988 | German Open | Steen Fladberg | Martin Dew Gillian Gilks | 9–15, 18–14, 15–4 | Winner |
| 1988 | Thailand Open | Steen Fladberg | Wang Pengren Shi Fangjing | 17–14, 4–15, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1991 | Finnish Open | Max Gandrup | Henrik Svarrer Maria Bengtsson | 12–15, 9–15 | Runner-up |
| 1993 | Chinese Taipei Open | Nick Ponting | Denny Kantono Zelin Resiana | Walkover | Runner-up |
| 1993 | World Grand Prix Finals | Nick Ponting | Thomas Lund Catrine Bengtsson | 9–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
| 1994 | All England Open | Chris Hunt | Nick Ponting Joanne Wright | 10–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |

### IBF International

Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1981 | French Open | Svetlana Belyasova | | Runner-up |
| 1983 | Silver Bowl International | Gillian Gowers | 6–11, 4–11 | Runner-up |
| 1983 | Auckland International | Gillian Gowers | | Winner |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1979 | Czechoslovakian International | Sally Leadbeater | Charlotte Pilgaard Kirsten Larsen | 15–9, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1980 | Czechoslovakian International | Kathleen Redhead | Dorte Kjær Pia Nielsen | 15–5, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1982 | Scottish Open | Gillian Gilks | Helen Troke Barbara Sutton | 15–3, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1982 | Indonesia Open | Gillian Gilks | Atsuko Tokuda Yoshiko Yonekura | 17–14, 14–17, 15–12 | Winner |
| 1982 | Canadian Open | Gillian Gilks | Claire Backhouse Johanne Falardeau | 17–14, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1983 | Silver Bowl International | Gillian Gowers | Julie McDonald Audrey Swaby | 11–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 1983 | Auckland International | Gillian Gowers | Julie McDonald Audrey Swaby | | Winner |
| 1983 | English Masters | Gillian Gilks | Chen Ruizhen Zheng Jian | 12–7 retired | Runner-up |
| 1984 | Silver Bowl International | Maxine Evans | Claire Backhouse-Sharpe Linda Cloutier | 15–9, 17–15 | Winner |
| 1984 | Auckland International | Maxine Evans | Claire Backhouse-Sharpe Linda Cloutier | 15–9, 11–15, 2–15 | Runner-up |
| 1984 | English Masters | Nora Perry | Lin Ying Wu Dixi | 5–15, 1–15 | Runner-up |
| 1991 | Wimbledon International | Julie Bradbury | Gillian Gowers Sara Sankey | 5–15, 15–10, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1991 | Spanish International | Julie Bradbury | Ciara Doheny Katrin Schmidt | 12–15, 15–12, 15–7 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1979 | Czechoslovakian International | Andy Goode | Kenneth Larsen Charlotte Pilgaard | 9–15, 6–15 | Runner-up |
| 1982 | Welsh Open | Mike Tredgett | Dipak Tailor Nora Perry | 14–18, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1991 | Spanish International | Andy Goode | David Serrano Eshter Sanz | 15–7, 15–3 | Winner |