Susan Whetnall
![]() Whetnall at the 1970 Dutch Open. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Susan Pound 11 December 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Susan D. Whetnall (born 11 December 1942, née Susan Pound) is a former English badminton player, noted for her anticipation and shot-making ability, who won numerous international titles in doubles and mixed doubles from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. She was married to another English former international player, Paul Whetnall, from 1968 until his death in May 2014.[2]
Badminton career
Born, Susan Pound, she married fellow international player Paul Whetnall in 1968, and competed in her married name thereafter.[3]
Whetnall shared three women's doubles titles (1969, 1970, 1976) and two mixed doubles titles (1968, 1974) at the All-England Championships which was then considered the world's most prestigious tournament for individual players. She represented the England team[4] at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland,[5] where she competed in the badminton events, winning a gold medal in the women's doubles.[6][7][8]
Four years later she won two more medals at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.[9]
Whetnall also won five gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze medal in the European Badminton Championships between 1968 and 1976, making her one of the most successful players ever in this biennial tournament.
She was elected to the Badminton Hall of Fame in 2009.
Major achievements
Commonwealth Games
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland | 15–9, 15–2 | |||
| 1974 | Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand | 7–15, 5–15 |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland | 15–8, 12–15, 15–12 | |||
| 1974 | Cowles Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand | 15–10, 15–4 |
European Championships
Women's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Fitzwilliam Club, Dublin, Ireland | 5–11, 2–11 |
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Ruhrlandhalle, Bochum, West Germany | 15–7, 18–13 | |||
| 1970 | Afan Lido, Port Talbot, Wales | 2–3 retired | |||
| 1974 | Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria | 10–15, 13–15 | |||
| 1976 | Fitzwilliam Club, Dublin, Ireland | 15–4, 15–8 |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Ruhrlandhalle, Bochum, West Germany | 15–13, 15–9 | |||
| 1970 | Afan Lido, Port Talbot, Wales | 17–16, 17–16 | |||
| 1974 | Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria | 15–5, 3–15, 3–15 |
International tournaments (34 titles, 9 runners-up)
Women's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Scottish Open | 11–8, 4–11, 10–12 | ||
| 1970 | Dutch Open | 11–6, 6–11, 11–6 | ||
| 1975 | South African Championships | 7–11, 11–2, 8–11 |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | German Open | 5–15, 16–17 | |||
| 1967 | Irish Open | 15–8, 15–7 | |||
| 1968 | Scottish Open | 9–15, 9–15 | |||
| 1968 | Dutch Open | 5–15, 15–0, 15–9 | |||
| 1968 | German Open | 15–6, 15–7 | |||
| 1969 | All England Open | 15–11, 15–11 | |||
| 1969 | Irish Open | 15–3, 15–10 | |||
| 1969 | South African Championships | 15–6, 15–4 | |||
| 1969 | Swedish Open | 4–15, 15–5, 15–10 | |||
| 1969 | Scottish Open | 15–4, 15–6 | |||
| 1970 | Belgian International | 15–4, 15–6 | |||
| 1970 | All England Open | 15–6, 8–15, 15–9 | |||
| 1970 | Canadian Open | 15–5, 5–15, 15–13 | |||
| 1970 | U.S. Open | 10–15, 11–15 | |||
| 1970 | Dutch Open | 18–15, 12–15, 15–1 | |||
| 1970 | Scottish Open | 15–2, 15–18, 15–5 | |||
| 1974 | All England Open | 5–15, 14–18 | |||
| 1974 | Scottish Open | 15–9, 10–15, 15–10 | |||
| 1975 | Dutch Open | 15–3, 15–5 | |||
| 1975 | South African Championships | 12–15, 15–7, 18–17 | |||
| 1975 | Swedish Open | 15–9, 4–15, 15–11 | |||
| 1976 | U.S. Open | 15–4, 15–10 | |||
| 1976 | Scottish Open | 15–5, 15–2 | |||
| 1976 | German Open | 15–11, 15–9 | |||
| 1976 | All England Open | 15–10, 15–10 | |||
| 1976 | Dutch Open | 15–4, 15–5 |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Scottish Open | 15–8, 17–15 | |||
| 1968 | German Open | 15–10, 18–17 | |||
| 1968 | All England Open | 15–6, 15–6 | |||
| 1969 | German Open | 15–11, 13–15, 15–10 | |||
| 1969 | All England Open | 15–9, 5–15, 12–15 | |||
| 1969 | South African Championships | 10–15, 13–15 | |||
| 1969 | Scottish Open | 15–4, 15–7 | |||
| 1969 | Irish Open | 15–14, 15–13 | |||
| 1970 | Canadian Open | 12–15, 15–5, 15–13 | |||
| 1974 | All England Open | 15–6, 15–6 | |||
| 1975 | Dutch Open | 15–8, 15–3 | |||
| 1975 | South African Championships | 6–15, 15–10, 15–3 | |||
| 1975 | Swedish Open | 12–15, 6–15 | |||
| 1976 | U.S. Open | 15–6, 10–15, 15–12 |
References
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "badmintonengland.co.uk". Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "England Edinburgh 1970". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Eddy named for the Games". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 7 April 1970. p. 48. Retrieved 25 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games Medallists". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "1970 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Edinburgh, 1970 Team". Team England.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- All England champions 1899-2007 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Statistics at badmintonengland.co.uk Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- European results
- Pat Davis: The Encyclopaedia of Badminton. Robert Hale, London, 1987, p. 180, ISBN 0-7090-2796-6
