Ulla Strand (21 March 1943 – 7 August 2007) (born as Ulla Rasmussen) was badminton player of Denmark who excelled from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. Though she won three Danish national singles titles and reached the women's singles final at the All-England Championships in 1965, most of her major championship victories were in doubles (often with her sister Karin Jorgensen) and mixed doubles. Attractive and charismatic, she was a crowd favorite throughout her career.

Ulla Strand
Personal information
Birth nameUlla Rasmussen
CountryDenmark
Born21 March 1943[1]
Copenhagen, Denmark
Died7 August 2007(2007-08-07) (aged 64)[2]
Doubles
Career title(s)10 times All England Champion
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Denmark
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1974 Vienna Women's doubles
European Mixed Team Championships
Silver medal – second place 1974 Vienna Mixed team

She was included in the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1999. Ulla Strand died in 2007 after a long illness.[2]

Career

edit

Strand won 10 All England Open Badminton Championships titles, 7 in mixed doubles and 3 in women's doubles. She also won 21 Danish National Championships between 1961 and 1974, and 19 Nordic Championships between 1962 and 1973.

1972 Summer Olympics

edit

Strand competed in badminton at the 1972 Summer Olympics, as a demonstration sport competition. In women's singles, she lost in the first round against Noriko Nakayama, 11-5, 11-9. In mixed doubles she played with Svend Pri, and they were beaten in the final by Derek Talbot and Gillian Gilks of Great Britain, 15-6, 18-16.

Major achievements

edit
Rank Event Date Venue
European Championships
3 Women's doubles 1974 Vienna, AUT
Open Championships
1 Women's doubles 1964, 1965, 1967 All England Open
Mixed doubles 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966
1 Women's doubles 1965 Denmark Open
Mixed doubles 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973
1 Women's doubles 1962, 1967 Dutch Open
Mixed doubles 1962
1 Women's singles 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 Nordic Championships
Women's doubles 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1973
Mixed doubles 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973
1 Women's singles 1962, 1967 Swedish Open
Women's doubles 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968
Mixed doubles 1963, 1965
1 Mixed doubles 1966 Canadian Open
2 Women's doubles 1962, 1963, 1966 All England Open
Mixed doubles 1964

Achievements

edit

International tournaments

edit

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1967 All England   Svend Pri   Pernille Mølgaard Hansen
  Per Walsøe
15–2, 15–10   Winner
1968 Swedish Open   Svend Pri   Winner
1971 Denmark Open   Svend Pri   Ray Stevens
  Barbara Hood
15–13, 15–11   Winner
1971 All England   Svend Pri   Derek Talbot
  Gillian Gilks
15–12, 8–15, 15–11   Winner
1971 Dutch Open   Svend Pri   Derek Talbot
  Gillian Gilks
4–15, 15–6, 16–17   Runner-up
1972 Swedish Open   Svend Pri   David Eddy
  Gillian Gilks
10-15, 8–15   Runner-up
1972 Denmark Open   Svend Pri   Wolfgang Bochow
  Marieluise Wackerow
7–15, 15–13, 10–15   Runner-up
1972 All England   Svend Pri   Derek Talbot
  Gillian Gilks
12–15, 15–8, 15–12   Winner

References

edit
  1. ^ "Døde", Kristeligt Dagblad, August 13, 2007, accessed February 18, 2011. (in Danish)
  2. ^ a b "Ulla Strand er død", Danmarks Badminton Forbund, 2007, accessed February 18, 2011. (in Danish)
edit