{{Short description|Welsh bowls player (born 1985)}} {{Distinguish|Laura Daniel}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Laura Daniels | image = | image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.--> | caption = | birth_name = Laura Thomas | nationality = British (Welsh) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|5|31|df=y}} | birth_place = Neath, Wales | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Lawn & indoor bowls | club = Brynhyfryd Bowls Club | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition | World Outdoor Championships }} {{MedalGold| 2016 Christchurch | Women's pairs}} {{MedalSilver| 2016 Christchurch | Women's team}} {{MedalCompetition | Commonwealth Games }} {{MedalSilver | 2018 Gold Coast|Women's singles}} {{MedalCompetition|World Indoor Championships}} {{MedalGold|2013 Yarmouth|Mixed pairs}} {{MedalGold|2014 Yarmouth|Mixed pairs}} {{MedalGold|2015 Yarmouth|Women's singles}} {{MedalGold|2021 Yarmouth|Women's singles}} {{MedalCompetition|Atlantic Bowls Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2015 Paphos|fours}} {{MedalCompetition|British Isles Championships}} {{MedalGold|2017|singles}} }}
'''Laura Daniels''' (née '''Laura Thomas''';<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bowlsinternational.com/view_article.asp?id=8602 |title=This weekend at the World Indoor Championships |publisher=Bowls International |access-date=13 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014060657/http://www.bowlsinternational.com/view_article.asp?id=8602 |archive-date=14 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> born 31 May 1985) is a Welsh lawn and indoor bowler.
==Bowls career== ===World Outdoor Championship=== In 2016, Daniels won the gold medal with Jess Sims in the pairs at the 2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Christchurch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burnsidebowlingclub.com/2016WorldBowlsChampionshipFinalsResults.html |title=2016 World Bowls Championship Finals |publisher=Burnside Bowling Club}}</ref> In 2020, she was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bowlsinternational.keypublishing.com/welsh-women-selected-for-world-bowls/ |title=Welsh Women Selected For World Bowls |publisher=Bowls International}}</ref>
In 2023, she was selected as part of the team to represent Wales at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bowlsinternational.keypublishing.com/competitors-confirmed-world-bowls-outdoor-championships/ |title=COMPETITORS CONFIRMED: WORLD BOWLS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 |website=Bowls International |date=5 June 2023 |access-date=2 September 2023}}</ref> She participated in the women's triples and the women's fours events.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbowls.com/events-list/ |title=Events and Results, World Championships 2023 Gold Coast, Australia |publisher=World Bowls |access-date=2 September 2023 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519080851/https://www.worldbowls.com/events-list/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://world2023.bowls.com.au/event-info/schedule/ |title=SCHEDULE & DRAWS |publisher=Bowls Australia |access-date=2 September 2023 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811144518/https://world2023.bowls.com.au/event-info/schedule/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the fours, her team reached the quarter final before being beaten by England.
===Commonwealth Games=== She was selected as part of the Welsh team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland<ref>{{cite web |url=http://teamwales.cymru/en/news-blog/news/selection-update-93-more-athletes-selected-for-gold-coast-across-11-sports/ |title=2018 Commonwealth Games team |publisher=Team Wales |access-date=26 January 2018 |archive-date=7 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307011951/http://teamwales.cymru/en/news-blog/news/selection-update-93-more-athletes-selected-for-gold-coast-across-11-sports/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> where she claimed a silver medal in the Singles losing out to Jo Edwards in the final.
In 2022, she competed in the women's singles and the women's triples at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://results.birmingham2022.com/#/athlete-details/59798 |title=Official Games profile |publisher=2022 Commonwealth Games |access-date=4 August 2022}}</ref>
===World Indoor Championship=== Laura won the Women's singles title at the 2015 World Indoor Bowls Championship defeating defending champion Katherine Rednall in the final.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/bowls/30939011 |title=Laura Thomas wins women's title |publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> Daniels claimed a second singles title in 2021 by beating Katherine Rednall again, in a repeat of the 2015 final.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/bowls/55760133 |title=Wales' Laura Daniels wins World Indoor Bowls final |publisher=BBC |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1103284/daniels-wins-ladies-singles-title-bowls |title=Daniels recovers from dropping first set to win ladies singles title at World Indoor Bowls Championships |publisher=Inside the Games |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref>
Additionally she partnered with Paul Foster to win World Indoor Bowl's Mixed Pairs titles in 2013 and 2014.
===National=== After her 2016 Welsh National Bowls Championships singles success she subsequently won the singles at the British Isles Bowls Championships in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biwbc.com/community/british-isles-women-s-bowls-council-15075/home |title=Previous Winners |publisher=British Isles Bowls Council }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> She also won the Welsh National singles title in 2018.
==Personal life== Her brother Ben Thomas is also a multiple Welsh National Bowls Championships title winner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bowlsinternational.keypublishing.com/index.php/2019/08/22/two-new-welsh-singles-champions/ |title=Two New Welsh Singles Champions |website=Bowls International}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20240919235638/https://teamwales.cymru/athlete/laura-daniels/ Laura Daniels] at Team Wales (archived) * {{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|lawn-bowls/athlete-profile-n6028284-laura-daniels}} * {{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|59798}} * [https://bowlswales.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Meet-the-Team-Womens-Pairs-.pdf Meet the Team: Wales’ Ladies Pairs] at Bowls Wales
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, Laura}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Welsh female bowls players Category:Bowls World Champions Category:Indoor Bowls World Champions Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Wales Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in lawn bowls Category:Bowls players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Bowls players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games