Carol Owens (squash player)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:BLP sources Template:Infobox squash player
Carol Owens (born 4 June 1971) is a former New Zealand-based squash player who won the World Open in 2000 and 2003.
Owens was born in Melbourne, Australia, and would eventually change her nationality when she moved to Auckland, New Zealand.Template:Citation needed A right-hander, she made her competitive debut in 1990 in the Swiss Open where she finished 17th.Template:Citation needed Her first final was the 1993 Japan Open where she was a runner-up to the Canadian Heather Wallace. She did not have to wait long for her first major victory, which came in October in Adelaide, South Australia.Template:Citation needed
She was part of the Australian winning team at the 1994 Women's World Team Squash Championships, 1996 Women's World Team Squash Championships and 1998 Women's World Team Squash Championships.
She has the unique achievement of representing both Australia and New Zealand at the highest level and is the first female player to win medals for two countries at the Commonwealth Games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Owens began to challenge for the world championship whilst still representing Australia and her first World Open title came in 2000 when she came back from two games down to beat New Zealander Leilani Joyce 7–9, 3–9, 10–8, 9–6, 9–1. This was after an equally epic semi-final against Sarah Fitz-Gerald.
In 2001, Owens changed her nationality, becoming a New Zealander and at the 2002 Commonwealth Games she won the gold in the doubles and a silver in the singles. The elusive second world title came in 2003, when she beat Cassie Campion 3–9, 9–2, 9–7, 9–3. It was in 2003 that she became – for the first time – the World No. 1 ranked player.
At the beginning of 2004, Owens announced that she had retired from the professional game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
World Open
Finals: 2 (2 title, 0 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2000 Women's World Open Squash Championship | Edinburgh, Scotland | Template:Flagicon Leilani Joyce | 9–6, 9–5, 7–9, 5–9, 9–6 |
| Winner | 2003 Women's World Open Squash Championship | Hong Kong | Template:Flagicon Cassie Jackman | 3–9, 9–2, 9–7, 9–3 |
World Team Championships
Finals: 3 (3 title, 0 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1994 Women's World Team Squash Championships | Saint Peter Port, Guernsey | Template:Flagicon England | 3–0 |
| Winner | 1996 Women's World Team Squash Championships | Petaling Jaya, Malaysia | Template:Flagicon England | 2–1 |
| Winner | 1998 Women's World Team Squash Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | Template:Flagicon England | 3–0 |
See also
References
External links
- Template:WISPA
- Carol Owens at SquashPics.com (archived)
- Template:SquashInfo
- Profile at the New Zealand Olympic Committee websiteTemplate:Dead link
Template:S-start Template:S-sports Template:Succession box Template:S-end
Template:Squash World Number Ones (women) Template:Squash World Open women's champions Template:World Series squash women's champions Template:2002 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team
- Australian emigrants to New Zealand
- New Zealand female squash players
- 1971 births
- Living people
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
- Sportspeople from Auckland
- Sportswomen from Victoria (state)
- Squash players at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
- Squash players from Melbourne
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia
- Squash players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
- Australian female squash players
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists in squash
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists in squash
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in squash
- Commonwealth Games squash players for New Zealand
- Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
- 21st-century Australian sportswomen