Margaret Johnston is the greatest women’s player of all time despite only starting outdoor bowls in 1979 as a recruit from the short mat (indoor) game.
In her first year of the outdoor game, she reached the final of the Irish singles. Margaret’s record in the World Championships reads six golds, two silver and one bronze, which speaks to her renowned determination and powers of concentration. She represented Northern Ireland in six consecutive Commonwealth Games from 1986 until 2006.
In between two gold medal singles successes in 1986 and 1994 was a bronze in the same discipline. She won pairs gold in 1986 with Freda Elliott. In 1996, she won a third consecutive World Championship pairs title with Phyllis Nolan and eight years later in the 2004 World Championships, she won a record third World Bowls singles title.
Johnston was awarded an MBE in the 1991 New Year Honours for services to bowls. She announced her retirement from international bowls in 2008.
Record:
- Commonwealth Games: ’86 (pairs gold), ’90 (singles bronze), ’94 (singles gold)
- World Bowls Championships: ’88 (singles silver), ’88 (pairs gold), ’92 (singles gold), ’92 (pairs gold), ’96 (pairs gold), ’00 (singles gold), ’04 (singles gold), ’08 (pairs bronze)
- World Bowls Champion of Champions: ’04
- Atlantic gold: ’99 (singles), ’99 (triples)
