Ann Stephens (badminton)

Ann Stephens née Ann Crossan (born c.1965), is a former international badminton player from Northern Ireland who competed at three Commonwealth Games and was an eight-time champion of Ireland.

Born Ann Crossan, she won the Ulster U15 doubles title at the beginning of 1977.^[1] Her sister Lorraine Crossan was also a talented badminton player.^[2]

In 1979 she was paying for Holy Trinity Badminton Club and was the Irish U18 doubles champion.^[3] Later in 1980 she switched to play for the Alpha Badminton Club in Lisburn,^[4] joining her sister Lorraine at the club.^[5]

Crossan represented the Northern Irish team^[6] at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia,^[7] where she competed in the four events.^[8]

Crossan partnered George Stephens in mixed doubles and the pair married in June 1985 at the Ballysillan Presbyterian Church in Belfast. Ann would play under her married name thereafter.^[9] Other doubles partners included Bruce Topping, Rikki Keag and Peter Ferguson in mixed doubles^[10] and Linda Andrews in women's doubles.^[11]

Stephens went to a second Commonwealth Games after being selected for the 1986 Northern Irish team^[12] at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland,^[13] where she competed in the three events.^[14] She then went to a third Commonwealth Games after being selected for the 1990 Northern Irish team^[15] at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand.^[16][17]

She was an eight-times Irish champion at the Irish National Badminton Championships, winning three women's doubles^[18] and five mixed doubles titles.^[19]