# Karen Bridge

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English badminton player (1960–2020)

"Karen Beckman" redirects here. For the professor, see [Karen Redrobe](/source/Karen_Redrobe).

Karen Bridge Personal information Nickname Duchess[1] Born 27 March 1960 Surrey, England Died 19 June 2020(2020-06-19) (aged 60) Surrey, England Sport Country England Sport Badminton Medal record Women's badminton Representing England World Championships 1980 Jakarta Women's doubles Uber Cup 1984 Kuala Lumpur Women's team Commonwealth Games 1978 Edmonton Mixed team 1982 Brisbane Mixed team 1982 Brisbane Women's doubles 1982 Brisbane Mixed doubles European Championships 1982 Böblingen Mixed team 1984 Preston Mixed team 1982 Böblingen Women's singles 1984 Preston Women's doubles 1986 Uppsala Mixed team 1984 Preston Women's singles 1986 Uppsala Women's doubles European Junior Championships 1977 Ta' Qali Girls' singles 1977 Ta' Qali Girls' doubles 1977 Ta' Qali Mixed team 1977 Ta' Qali Mixed doubles 1975 Copenhagen Mixed team 1975 Copenhagen Girls' doubles

**Karen Beckman** [née](/source/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names) **Bridge** (March 1960 – June 2020) was a female [badminton](/source/Badminton) player of [England](/source/England).

## Career

She won a [bronze medals](/source/Bronze_medal) at the [1980 IBF World Championships](/source/1980_IBF_World_Championships) in women's doubles with [Barbara Sutton](/source/Barbara_Sutton).

She represented [England](/source/England_at_the_1978_Commonwealth_Games) and won a [gold medal](/source/Gold_medal) in the team event, at the [1978 Commonwealth Games](/source/1978_Commonwealth_Games) in [Edmonton](/source/Edmonton), Alberta, Canada. In addition she reached the quarter-finals of the doubles and mixed doubles.[2][3]

Four years later, as Karen Beckman she represented [England](/source/England_at_the_1982_Commonwealth_Games) and won a gold medal in the team event and two [silver medals](/source/Silver_medal) in the women's doubles and mixed doubles, at the [1982 Commonwealth Games](/source/1982_Commonwealth_Games) in [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), [Queensland](/source/Queensland), [Australia](/source/Australia).[4][5] The mixed doubles medal was with her brother, [Duncan Bridge](/source/Duncan_Bridge).

## Personal life

She was a coach for the [Wilson Boys' School](/source/Wilson's_School)'s badminton team and a part-time coach for the Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness Club's junior badminton team towards the end of her life.

She has a son, Ben Beckman, who has also successfully played badminton for England.

Beckman died of cancer in June 2020.[1][6]

## Achievements

### World Championships

*Women's doubles*

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1980 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia Barbara Sutton Verawaty Fadjrin Imelda Wiguna 15–12, 10–15, 4–15 Bronze

### Commonwealth Games

*Women's doubles*

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1982 Chandler Sports Hall, Brisbane, Australia Gillian Clark Claire Backhouse-Sharpe Johanne Falardeau 15–13, 16–18, 4–15 Silver

*Mixed doubles*

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1982 Chandler Sports Hall, Brisbane, Australia Duncan Bridge Martin Dew Karen Chapman 13–18, 3–15 Silver

### European Championships

*Women's singles*

Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1982 Sporthalle, Böblingen, West Germany Lene Køppen 1–11, 9–11 Silver 1984 Guild Hall, Preston, England Helen Troke 8–11, 7–11 Bronze

*Women's doubles*

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1984 Guild Hall, Preston, England Gillian Gilks Karen Chapman Gillian Clark 17–15, 12–15, 2–15 Silver 1986 Fyrishallen, Uppsala, Sweden Sara Halsall Dorte Kjær Nettie Nielsen 8–15, 4–15 Bronze

### European Junior Championships

*Girls' singles*

Year Venue Opponent Score Result 1977 RAF Ta Kali hangar, Ta'Qali, Malta Kirsten Meier 11–8, 11–3 Gold

*Girls' doubles*

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1975 Gladsaxe Sportscenter, Copenhagen, Denmark Paula Kilvington Inge Borgstrom Pia Nielsen 15–7, 5–15, 5–15 Bronze 1977 RAF Ta Kali hangar, Ta'Qali, Malta Karen Puttick Pamela Hamilton Joy Reid 17–15, 15–8 Gold

*Mixed doubles*

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 1977 RAF Ta Kali hangar, Ta'Qali, Malta Kevin Jolly Nigel Tier Karen Puttick walkover Silver

### IBF Grand Prix

The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983-2006.

*Women's singles*

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result 1984 German Open Helen Troke 9–12, 12–10, 11–6 Winner

*Women's doubles*

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1983 Canadian Open Sally Podger Claire Backhouse-Sharpe Johanne Falardeau 18–14, 10–15, 15–4 Winner 1984 Dutch Open Gillian Gilks Dorte Kjær Kirsten Larsen 15–12, 15–10 Winner 1984 German Open Gillian Gilks Karen Chapman Gillian Clark 17–14, 18–14 Winner 1984 Japan Open Gillian Gilks Ruth Damayanti Maria Fransisca 13–15, 15–3, 15–12 Winner 1984 Thailand Open Gillian Gilks Gillian Gowers Helen Troke 18–16, 17–18, 15–9 Winner 1984 Chinese Taipei Open Gillian Gilks Ruth Damayanti Maria Fransisca 15–12, 9–15, 17–14 Winner 1985 German Open Gillian Gilks Guan Weizhen Wu Jianqiu 9–15, 15–6, 9–15 Runner-up 1985 Chinese Taipei Open Gillian Gilks Gillian Clark Nora Perry 15–10, 14–17, 0–15 Runner-up 1985 English Masters Sara Sankey Gillian Clark Gillian Gowers 15–11, 15–5 Winner

### IBF International

*Women's singles*

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result 1977 Portugal International Winner 1981 Victor Cup Jane Webster 11–1, 4–11, 11–4 Runner-up 1983 Welsh International Fiona Elliott 11–3, 11–3 Winner 1983 Bell's Open Pamela Hamilton 11–5, 12–9 Winner 1985 Bell's Open Fiona Elliott 11–5, 11–4 Winner

*Women's doubles*

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1977 Portugal International Anne Statt Winner 1980 Scottish Open Paula Kilvington Kathleen Redhead Karen Chapman 15–10, 15–5 Winner 1981 Victor Cup Barbara Sutton Jane Webster Nora Perry 12–15, 15–11, 6–15 Runner-up 1983 Scottish Open Barbara Sutton Karen Chapman Sally Podger 15–12, 15–6 Winner 1983 Bell's Open Barbara Sutton Barbara Beckett Alison Fulton 15–12, 15–9 Winner 1984 Scottish Open Pamela Hamilton Karen Chapman Jane Webster 18–14, 13–18, 6–15 Runner-up 1984 Bell's Open Sally Podger Gillian Gowers Helen Troke 6–15, 15–3, 14–18 Runner-up 1985 Welsh International Sara Sankey Hanne Adsbøl Nettie Nielsen 15–7, 15–12 Winner 1985 Bell's Open Sara Sankey Lisa Chapman Fiona Elliot 15–9, 15–6 Winner 1986 Welsh International Sara Sankey Lisa Chapman Cheryl Cooke 15–10, 15–12 Winner 1986 Bell's Open Sara Sankey Fiona Elliot Helen Troke 15–0, 15–9 Winner 1987 Irish Open Sara Sankey Elinor Allen Jennifer Allen 15–6, 15–4 Winner 1988 Bell's Open Sara Sankey Denyse Julien Claire Backhouse-Sharpe 12–15, 10–15 Runner-up

*Mixed doubles*

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1977 Portugal International Tim Stokes Winner 1983 Holland Masters Mike Tredgett Martin Dew Gillian Gilks 4–15, 10–15 Runner-up 1983 Bell's Open Duncan Bridge Eddy Sutton Alison Fulton 15–8, 15–12 Winner 1984 Scottish Open Dipak Tailor Billy Gilliland Karen Chapman 3–15, 6–15 Runner-up 1984 Bell's Open Billy Gilliland Nigel Tier Gillian Gowers 17–16, 15–13 Winner 1986 Welsh International Chris Dobson Martin Dew Gillian Gilks 1–15, 0–15 Runner-up 1987 Irish Open Mike Tredgett Billy Gilliland Jennifer Allen 15–7, 8–15, 15–11 Winner 1989 Bell's Open Andy Goode Miles Johnson Cheryl Johnson 15–5, 15–8 Winner

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-death_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-death_1-1) ["Gill Clark leads tributes to 'The Duchess'"](https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/22-06-20-gill-clark-leads-tributes-to-the-duchess/). Badminton England.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["1978 Athletes"](https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edmonton-1978/athletes). Team England.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Athletes and results"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220228064550/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/41783). Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from [the original](https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/41783) on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["1982 Athletes"](https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/brisbane-1982/athletes). Team England.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Athletes and results"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190822141726/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/41760). Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from [the original](https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/41760) on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Wilson's School Sports Awards 2020"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIaKV5M1u5I). Wilson's School.

- [European results](http://www.badmintoneurope.com/page.aspx?id=12642) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110707204322/http://www.badmintoneurope.com/page.aspx?id=12642) 7 July 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [English statistics](https://web.archive.org/web/20110815062016/http://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/core/core_picker/download.asp?id=6494)

- [\[1\]](https://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/news/gill-clark-leads-tributes-to-the-duchess)

- [\[2\]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIaKV5M1u5I)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Karen Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bridge) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bridge?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.