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Karen Murphy (bowls)

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Karen Murphy
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1974-12-18) 18 December 1974 (age 49)
Kiama, Australia
Medal record
Representing  Australia
World Outdoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 2000 Moama pairs
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Moama singles
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Leamington Spa pairs
Gold medal – first place 2008 Christchurch fours
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Christchurch pairs
Gold medal – first place 2012 Adelaide singles
Gold medal – first place 2012 Adelaide triples
Gold medal – first place 2016 Christchurch singles
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 1998 Kuala Lumpur fours
Silver medal – second place 2002 Manchester singles
Gold medal – first place 2006 Melbourne pairs
Silver medal – second place 2014 Glasgow triples
World Indoor Bowls Championships
Silver medal – second place 2011 Yarmouth singles
Gold medal – first place 2012 Yarmouth singles
Asia Pacific Bowls Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Warilla triples
Gold medal – first place 1997 Warilla fours
Gold medal – first place 1999 Kuala Lumpur pairs
Gold medal – first place 2001 Melbourne fours
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Brisbane singles
Gold medal – first place 2005 Meklbourne pairs
Gold medal – first place 2007 Christchurch pairs
Silver medal – second place 2007 Christchurch singles
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Kuala Lumpur pairs
Silver medal – second place 2011 Adelaide fours
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Adelaide pairs
Gold medal – first place 2015 Christchurch singles
Gold medal – first place 2015 Christchurch pairs

Karen Anne Murphy AM (born 18 December 1974) is an Australian international lawn bowler and indoor bowler.[1]

Bowls career

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World championships

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Murphy has won the 2008 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in the fours, 2012 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in the triples and twice in the singles at the 2012 World Outdoor Bowls Championship and the 2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[2] She successfully defended her title in the singles at the 2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Christchurch after defeating Lesley Doig in the final.[3] This achievement is generally agreed to have elevated her to being the best female bowler since Margaret Johnston.[4]

Commonwealth Games

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She has won gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the pairs. In addition she has won three Commonwealth Games silver medals,[5] the most recent being in the Women's triples at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.[6]

Asia Pacific Championships

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She has won a remarkable 13 medals at the Asia Pacific Bowls Championships, of which no less than eight have been gold in colour.[7]

Nationals

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In 2023, Murphy won the Australian National Bowls Championships fours title with Jamie-Lee Worsnop, Ellen Falkner and Ellen Ryan,[8] to add to her three Australian Open titles.

Indoors

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In 2012, she also won the World Indoor Bowls Championship title, a fine achievement bearing in mind that she does not compete every year in the event held in England.

Awards

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She has also been a guest commentator during the World Indoor Bowls Championships for the BBC. She was a Director for World Bowls from 2014-2018.

Murphy was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2021 Australia Day Honours, for "For significant service to lawn bowls as an elite player at the international level."[9]

In 2024, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.[10]


References

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  1. ^ "profile". Bowls Tawa. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  2. ^ "World Bowls 2016 - Profiles" (PDF). World Bowls. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2017.
  3. ^ "2016 World Bowls Championship Finals". Burnside Bowling Club.
  4. ^ "Back to back world bowls champion Karen Murphy hails Burnside as her 'happy hunting ground'". Stuff.co.nz. 4 December 2016.
  5. ^ "COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS". GBR Athletics.
  6. ^ "Karen Murphy biography". Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Asia Pacific Championships Past Winners" (PDF). World Bowls. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Day 13 recap". Bowls Australia. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Australia Day 2021 Honours List" (PDF). Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Sport Australia Hall of Fame announces eight new Inductees for 2024 | Sport Australia Hall of Fame". 24 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.