OLDS – An Olds resident finished third in two categories during a national badminton championship.
Mary Smith finished third in women’s singles for those over 40 years of age in the Yonex Canadian Masters Badminton championships, held June 12-17 in Calgary.
Also, she and George Bill Weng of Vancouver won a bronze medal in mixed doubles for those over 30 years of age.
But it wasn't easy.
"We had to win five matches to win the bronze," Smith wrote in a text.
Smith explained why she only received a bronze medal for the mixed doubles competition, despite finishing in third place in singles as well.
“It's set up a little differently,” she wrote. “If you lose your first match you go to a drop down and then if you win, you receive a bronze medal overall, which is what happened in mixed. They do it this way in case the seeding is off.
“In singles I never lost and beat all the women other than first and second, therefore finishing third, but not receiving a bronze medal.”
Smith said the competition was not only national, but attracted players from across the world.
“There were players from Indonesia, Australia, Denmark, Germany, and from Vancouver to Ontario and all the way to New Brunswick,” she wrote.
