{{short description|Canadian badminton player}} {{Infobox badminton player | name = Wendy Clarkson | image = | image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.--> | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1956|3|11}} | birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|11|13|1956|3|11}} | death_place = | country = Canada | height = | weight = | coach = | medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Women's badminton }} {{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Commonwealth Games }} {{MedalSilver | 1978 Edmonton | Mixed team }} {{MedalBronze | 1978 Edmonton | Women's singles }} {{MedalCompetition | Pan American Championships }} {{MedalGold | 1977 Moncton | Women's singles }} }}

'''Wendy May Clarkson Carter''' (née Wendy Clarkson; 11 March 1956 – 13 November 2024)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1977-04-18 |title=22nd Annual Sportsmen's Dinner |url=https://calgaryboosterclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1977.pdf |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Calgary Booster Club |page=14}}</ref> was a Canadian badminton champion who was ranked third in the world in 1978 and also medalled or ranked at the Canadian Open, national, Commonwealth Games and Pan Am Games. Even though she writes using her left hand, she holds the racket with her right hand.<ref name="wb197508">{{cite web |editor-last=Scheele |editor-first=H. A. E. |title=On the side lines: Some notes and news from all parts |url=https://worldbadminton.com/museum/publications/WorldBadminton/documents/n21_197508.pdf |work=World Badminton |edition=21 |date=August 1975 |page=9 |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref>

== Career == Carter won her first single Canadian title in the women's singles in 1976, having been a junior champion the year before. That year, she also won the Canadian Open. In 1977, she competed in the quarter-finals of All England. As a high school athlete in Edmonton, Alberta, at Strathcona Composite High School, she was recognized for her prowess in badminton as Athlete of the Year. In the 1960s, she took up badminton. She won the 1975 Canadian junior badminton singles title. With Tracey Vanwassenhove, she won the junior girls' doubles competition. With Cam Dalgleish, she won the mixed doubles in the Open National Badminton Championships.

In 1976, she won the Canadian Ladies' Singles title. The next year, she won the Badminton Pan Am Championship. During the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, she won silver in the team competition and bronze in the ladies' singles. That year, she was ranked as the 3rd-best female badminton player in the world.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} In 1979, and 1980, she won top ladies' singles at the nationals and, with Claire Backhouse, she won top Doubles and, with Greg Carter, top mixed doubles. In 1981, she won gold in Ladies' Doubles with Sandra Skillings. In 1982, she earned top Doubles with Bob MacDougal and top ladies doubles with Sandra Skillings.

Carter worked as head coach<ref>{{cite web |title=Wendy Carter |url=http://www.seattlebadminton.com/wp/about/coaches/wendycarter/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104070820/http://www.seattlebadminton.com/wp/about/coaches/wendycarter/ |archive-date=2011-01-04 |website=www.seattlebadminton.com}}</ref> at the Seattle Badminton Club in Kirkland, Washington<ref>{{Cite news |last=Seven |first=Richard |date=2011-11-02 |title=Stay quick on your toes with indoor badminton |work=The Seattle Times |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/stay-quick-on-your-toes-with-indoor-badminton/ |access-date=2023-12-25}}</ref> when they opened their new location in December 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Managan |first=Megan |date=2011-01-06 |title=Badminton club offers new home for enthusiasts |work=Kirkland Reporter |url=https://www.kirklandreporter.com/sports/badminton-club-offers-new-home-for-enthusiasts/ |access-date=2023-12-25}}</ref> She was a co-founder of the club.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kiley |first=Brendan |date=2013-07-24 |title=The Rise of the Shuttlecock |work=The Stranger |url=https://www.thestranger.com/features/2013/07/24/17330068/the-rise-of-the-shuttlecock |access-date=2023-12-25}}</ref>

As of June 2023, Carter has been inducted into the Badminton Canada Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-18 |title=Newest Badminton Canada Hall of Fame member - Wendy Clarkson-Carter |url=https://www.badminton.ca/news/149100/Newest-Badminton-Canada-Hall-of-Fame-member-Wendy-ClarksonCarter |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Badminton Canada}}</ref>

== Education == She earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://famouscanadianwomen.com/on%20the%20job/sports.htm |title=On the Job - Sports Personalities |website=famouscanadianwomen.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927032506/http://famouscanadianwomen.com/on%20the%20job/sports.htm |archive-date=2007-09-27}}</ref> In 2001, she was inducted into the University of Alberta's Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |date=2012 |others=Master of Ceremonies: Lesley MacDonald |title=City of Edmonton Salute to Excellence Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony |url=https://www.edmonton.ca/public-files/assets/document?path=PDF/2012-STE-Hall-Of-Fame-Program.pdf |website=City of Edmonton}}</ref>

== Achievements == Notes<ref>{{Cite web |title=Junior National Championships |url=http://www.badminton.ca/page/30746/Junior-National-Championships |website=Badminton Canada}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style=font-size:90%; ! Year ! Event ! Category ! Place ! Name |- | 1975 | Canada: Junior Championship | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Clarkson, AB

|- | 1976 | Canada: individual championships | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Clarkson, AB

|- | 1976 | Canada: International Championships | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1977 | Kanada: International Championships | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1977 | World Championship | Mixed | 5 | Lucio Fabris / Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1978 | Canada: International Championships | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1978 | Canada: International Championships | Mixed | 1 | Steen Skovgaard / Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1978 | Canada: individual championships | Mixed | 1 | Greg Carter / Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1978 | Commonwealth Games | Ladies Singles | 2 | Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1979 | Canada: individual championships | Mixed | 1 | Greg Carter / Wendy Clarkson

|- | 1979 | Canada: individual championships | Women's doubles | 1 | Wendy Carter / Claire Backhouse

|- | 1979 | Canada: individual championships | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Carter, AB

|- | 1980 | Canada: individual championships | Ladies single | 1 | Wendy Carter, AB

|- | 1982 | Canada: individual championships | Mixed | 1 | Bob MacDougall / Wendy Carter |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarkson, Wendy}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Badminton players from Glasgow Category:Sportspeople from Edmonton Category:Sportswomen from Alberta Category:Canadian female badminton players Category:University of Calgary alumni Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in badminton Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in badminton Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Canada Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Canada Category:Badminton players at the 1978 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 1978 Commonwealth Games Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen