Judy Devlin (later Hashman, 22 October 1935 – 6 May 2024) was an English and American badminton player who won more major international titles than any other player of her era.

Judy Devlin
Personal information
CountryUnited States
England
Born(1935-10-22)22 October 1935
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died6 May 2024(2024-05-06) (aged 88)
Oxford, England
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  United States
Uber Cup
Gold medal – first place 1957 Lancashire Women's team
Gold medal – first place 1960 Philadelphia Women's team
Gold medal – first place 1963 Wilmington Women's team
Silver medal – second place 1966 Wellington Women's team
Representing  England
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1972 Karlskrona Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 1972 Karlskrona Mixed team

Devlin began playing badminton with her Irish-born father Frank Devlin when she was seven in the Baltimore, Maryland region of the U.S.A. where her family had settled. Under her father's tutelage she developed a badminton game notable for its power, accuracy, and consistency. After dominating U.S. junior competition she won her first (adult) U.S. championship event, women's doubles, with her older sister Susan Devlin in 1953. This marked the beginning of the run of success listed below. She married Dick Hashman in 1960, living in England thereafter and eventually becoming a British citizen.[1]

Career

edit

Competing before the establishment of an official world championships for individual players and before badminton's entry into the Olympic Games, Devlin won 86 national and international titles. Among these are 31 titles in the USA, 8 titles in Germany, 7 titles in Canada, 4 titles in the Netherlands, 4 titles in Sweden, 3 titles in Ireland, 3 titles in Jamaica, 2 titles in Scotland, and a combined 19 titles in All England Open and English National competition. She played on U.S. Uber Cup teams that won three successive world championships (1957, 1960, 1963). In 1972 she won 2 titles (team and women's doubles) at the European Badminton Championships. She retired in 1973.

From 1954 to 1967 Devlin dominated the women's singles event at the U.S. Open, winning 12 titles in 14 years, including 8 consecutive championships from 1956 to 1963.

Judy Devlin is the most successful female player ever in the All England Badminton Championships, with 17 titles, 10 of them in women's singles and 7 in women's doubles.

Devlin appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 21 March 1970,[2] and was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1997, together with her father. She was also inducted into the U. S. Badminton Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

Death

edit

Devlin died from cancer in Oxford on 6 May 2024, at the age of 88.[3][4][5]

Achievements

edit

European Championships

edit
Women's doubles
Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1972 Karlskrona, Sweden   Gillian Gilks   Margaret Beck
  Julie Rickard
15–11, 15–7   Gold

Record at the All England Championships

edit
Women's singles
Year Opponent Score Result
1954   Iris Cooley 11–7, 11–5   Winner
1955   Margaret Varner Bloss 12–9, 5–11, 1–11   Runner-up
1956   Margaret Varner Bloss 8–11, 5–11   Runner-up
1957   Margaret Varner Bloss 11–2, 11–7   Winner
1958   Margaret Varner Bloss 11–7, 12–10   Winner
1959   Heather Ward 7–11, 11–3, 4–11   Runner-up
1960   Margaret Varner Bloss 11–1, 11–9   Winner
1961   Ursula Smith 11–2, 11–6   Winner
1962   Ursula Smith 11–4, 11–0   Winner
1963   Angela Bairstow 11–5, 11–9   Winner
1964   Ursula Smith 11–0, 11–3   Winner
1966   Imre Rietveld 11–6, 11–7   Winner
1967   Noriko Takagi 5–11, 11–8, 12–10   Winner
Women's doubles
Year Partner Opponent Score Result
1954   Susan Devlin   Iris Rogers
  June White
15–7, 12–15, 15–8   Winner
1955   Susan Devlin   Iris Rogers
  June White
15–18, 15–10, 9–15   Runner-up
1956   Susan Devlin   Iris Rogers
  June White
17–18, 15–12, 15–12   Winner
1959   Susan Devlin   Iris Rogers
  June White
15–11, 10–15, 11–15   Runner-up
1960   Susan Devlin   Inge Birgit Hansen
  Kirsten Thorndahl
15–13, 15–6   Winner
1961   Sue Peard   Catherine Dunglison
  Wilma Tyre
15–5, 15–4   Winner
1962   Tonny Holst-Christensen   Karin Jørgensen
  Ulla Rasmussen
15–5, 15–3   Winner
1963   Sue Peard   Karin Jørgensen
  Ulla Rasmussen
15–6, 15–9   Winner
1964   Sue Peard   Karin Jørgensen
  Ulla Rasmussen
11–15, 15–6, 10–15   Runner-up
1966   Sue Peard   Karin Jørgensen
  Ulla Rasmussen
15–5, 14–17, 15–12   Winner
1967   Janet Brennan   Imre Rietveld
  Ulla Strand
15–11, 8–15, 4–15   Runner-up
1971   Gillian Gilks   Hiroe Yuki
  Noriko Takagi
10–15, 13–18   Runner-up

Other International tournaments

edit
Year Tournament Event Winner
1954 US Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1954 US Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1955 US Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1956 US Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1956 US Open Mixed doubles Finn Kobbero / Judy Devlin
1957 US Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1957 US Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1957 US Open Mixed doubles Finn Kobbero / Judy Devlin
1957 Canada Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1957 Canada Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1957 Jamaican Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1957 Jamaican Open Women's Doubles Ms Murray / Judy Devlin
1957 Jamaican Open Mixed Doubles A Feres / Judy Devlin
1958 US Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1958 US Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1958 US Open Mixed doubles Finn Kobbero / Judy Devlin
1959 US Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1959 US Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1959 US Open Mixed doubles Michael "Bunky" Roche / Judy Devlin
1959 Canada Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1959 Canada Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1959 Canada Open Mixed doubles Don P. Davis / Judy Devlin
1960 US Open Women's singles Judy Devlin
1960 US Open Women's doubles Sue Devlin / Judy Devlin
1960–1961 German Open Mixed doubles Yeoh Kean Hua / Judy Hashman
1960–1961 German Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1960–1961 German Open Women's doubles Judy Hashman / Sonia Cox
1961 US Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1961 US Open Women's doubles Sue Peard / Judy Hashman
1961 US Open Mixed doubles Wynn Rogers / Judy Hashman
1961 Scottish Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1961 Scottish Open Women's doubles Sue Peard / Judy Hashman
1961–1962 German Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1961–1962 German Open Women's doubles Judy Hashman / Tonny Holst-Christensen (USA / DEN)
1962 US Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1962 US Open Women's doubles Patsy Stephens / Judy Hashman
1962 US Open Mixed doubles Wynn Rogers / Judy Hashman
1962–1963 German Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1963 US Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1963 US Open Women's doubles Sue Peard/ Judy Hashman
1963–1964 German Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1964 Swedish Open Women's doubles Judy Hashman / Mary U. O'Sullivan
1964 Swedish Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1964 Dutch Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1964 Dutch Open Women's doubles Sue Peard (/ Judy Hashman
1964 Irish Open Mixed doubles Robert McCoig / Judy Hashman
1964 Irish Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1964 Irish Open Women's doubles Sue Peard / Judy Hashman
1965 US Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1966 US Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1966 US Open Women's doubles Sue Peard / Judy Hashman
1966 Swedish Open Women's doubles Judy Hashman / Eva Twedberg (USA / (SWE)
1966 Swedish Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1966 Canada Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1966 Canada Open Women's doubles Sue Peard / Judy Hashman
1966 German Open Women's Doubles Sue Peard / Judy Hashman
1967 US Open Women's singles Judy Hashman
1967 US Open Women's doubles Rosine Jones / Judy Hashman
1967 US Open Mixed doubles Jim Sydie / Judy Hashman
1971 Dutch Open Women's doubles Judy Hashman / Gillian Gilks
1972 Dutch Open Women's doubles Judy Hashman / Gillian Gilks

References

edit
  1. ^ "USA Badminton Walk of Fame Plaza: Judy Devlin Hashman". Usabadminton.org. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Desert Island Discs – Castaway : Judy Hashman". BBC Online. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Judy Hashman obituary". Yonex All England Badminton. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Judy Devlin Hashman, Record-Holding Badminton Champion, Dies at 88". The New York Times. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Judy Devlin Hashman obituary, badminton great". The Times. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
edit