Ellen Marie Falkner MBE (née Alexander; born 12 June 1979) is an English international lawn and indoor bowler from Cambridge, England.[1] Falkner was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to lawn bowls.[2][3]

Ellen Falkner
MBE
Personal information
NationalityBritish (English)
Born (1979-06-12) 12 June 1979 (age 45)
Wisbech, England
Medal record
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2002 Manchester fours
Gold medal – first place 2010 Delhi pairs
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow triples
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast triples
World Outdoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2004 Leamington Spa fours
Silver medal – second place 2008 Christchurch singles
Silver medal – second place 2008 Christchurch pairs
Silver medal – second place 2016 Christchurch fours
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Christchurch pairs
World Indoor Bowls Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Yarmouth singles
Gold medal – first place 2006 Yarmouth singles
Gold medal – first place 2016 Yarmouth singles
Gold medal – first place 2019 Yarmouth mixed pairs
Atlantic Bowls Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Bangor triples
Gold medal – first place 2005 Bangor fours
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Johannesburg singles
Silver medal – second place 2009 Johannesburg pairs
Gold medal – first place 2011 Paphos fours
Silver medal – second place 2011 Paphos triples
Silver medal – second place 2015 Paphos triples
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Paphos fours
British Isles Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 singles
Gold medal – first place 2009 pairs
Gold medal – first place 2013 pairs
Gold medal – first place 2018 pairs
Gold medal – first place 2008 fours

Personal life

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She retired from international bowls and relocated to Australia in 2021 after being appointed as Bowls Australia’s High Performance Manager for Para Bowls.[4]

Bowls career

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World Championships

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In 2004, she won the gold medal in the fours with Jayne Christie, Jean Baker and Amy Monkhouse at the 2004 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[5] In 2016, she was part of the fours team with Rebecca Wigfield, Wendy King and Jamie-Lea Winch who won the silver medal at the 2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Christchurch.[6] She then won a bronze medal in the pairs with Sophie Tolchard.[7] In 2020 she was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia.[8]

Commonwealth Games

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Ellen represented England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games winning gold in the fours[9] and eight years later won another gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the woman's pairs competition with Amy Monkhouse.[10] Ellen also competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and won a further gold[11] in the women's triples event with Sophie Tolchard and Sian Gordon.[12] She was selected as part of the England team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, on the Gold Coast in Queensland where she won a bronze medal in the Triples with Katherine Rednall and Sian Honnor.[13]

World Indoor Championship

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Falkner won a third World Indoor singles title during the 2016 World Indoor Bowls Championship after defeating Rebecca Field in the final. This success came ten years after her previous two victories.[14] In 2019 she won the mixed pairs gold with Robert Paxton at the 2019 World Indoor Bowls Championship.[15] At the 2021 World Indoor Bowls Championship Falkner became the first female player to reach the final of the open pairs event (playing with Greg Harlow).[16][17]

Atlantic Championships

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In 2005 she won the triples and fours gold medals at the Atlantic Bowls Championships.[18] After a singles bronze and pairs silver in 2009 she won the fours gold medal and triples silver medal at the 2011 Atlantic Championships in Cyprus.[19] Four years later in 2015 she won the triples silver medal and fours bronze medal at the Championships, also in Cyprus.[20]

National

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After winning the 2011 National singles crown she subsequently won the singles at the British Isles Bowls Championships in 2012.[21] She also won the two wood title in 2011 and has won eleven National titles in total; two singles, three CofC, four pairs (2007, 2008, 2012, 2017 all with Sue Alexander), one triples (2007) and one junior title.

In 2023, (Falkner now living in Australia and working as the Bowls Australia High Performance Manager for Para Bowls) won the Australian National Bowls Championships fours title with Jamie-Lee Worsnop, Ellen Ryan and Karen Murphy.[22]

National titles

References

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  1. ^ "England team profiles" (PDF). 2016 World Bowls. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  2. ^ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B18.
  3. ^ "Ellen Falkner awarded MBE in Queen's birthday honours". Bowls England. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  4. ^ "ELLEN FALKNER APPOINTED HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGER – PARA BOWLS". Bowls Australia, 27 September 2021. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  5. ^ "David Rhys Jones. "Johnston confirms status with third title." Times [London, England] 18 Sept. 2004". The Times.
  6. ^ "World Bowls Championships: England win men's triples title". BBC Sport.
  7. ^ "2016 World Bowls Championship Finals". Burnside Bowling Club.
  8. ^ "SELECTION: 2020 WORLD BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPS". Bowls England. 6 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Ellen Alexander". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Ellen Falkner". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Glasgow 2014 profile". Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Ellen Falkner claims third gold with dominant display over Australia". Cambridge News. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  13. ^ "2018 Commonwealth Games profile". 2018 Commonwealth Games.
  14. ^ "World Indoor Bowls: Ellen Falkner claims women's singles title". BBC Sport.
  15. ^ "PAXTON AND FALKNER ARE THE NEW 2019 WORLD INDOOR MIXED PAIRS CHAMPIONS". World Bowls. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Skelton wins first singles match at World Indoor Bowls Championships". www.insidethegames.biz. 11 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Dawes And Chestney Win Second Open Pairs Title". Bowls International. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  18. ^ "2005 Atlantic Rim Games". World Bowls Ltd. Archived from the original on 11 January 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  19. ^ "2011 Atlantic Championships". World Bowls Ltd. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  20. ^ "2015 Atlantic Championships". World Bowls. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Previous Winners". British Isles Bowls Council.
  22. ^ "Day 13 recap". Bowls Australia. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
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