Mary Alexandra "Alex" Bruce (born May 27, 1990) is a Canadian badminton player from Toronto, Ontario. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Women's doubles event with partner Michelle Li.[1]

Alexandra Bruce
Bruce (furthest left) at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
Personal information
Nickname(s)Alex, Brucie
Birth nameMary Alexandra Bruce
CountryCanada
Born (1990-05-27) May 27, 1990 (age 34)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
HandednessRight
Women's singles & doubles
Highest ranking149 (WS April 15, 2010)
20 (WD September 20, 2012)
23 (XD October 29, 2015)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Canada
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Guadalajara Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Toronto Women's doubles
Pan Am Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Campinas Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Markham Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2014 Markham Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2013 Santo Domingo Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2013 Santo Domingo Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2012 Lima Women's doubles
Gold medal – first place 2012 Lima Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2012 Lima Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Curitiba Mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2009 Guadalajara Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2013 Santo Domingo Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place [2010 Curitiba Women's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2010 Curitiba Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Markham Women's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Guadalajara Mixed doubles
Commonwealth Youth Games
Silver medal – second place 2008 Pune Girls' doubles
BWF profile

Early career

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She started playing badminton at aged 8. Her parents were members of a badminton club that put on clinics for kids. She won silver in doubles at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.[2] Bruce studied Engineering and played Varsity Badminton for the University of Western Ontario, where she was named OUA Female Rookie of the Year in 2008. At the 2009 Canadian university and college national championships, she won two gold medals in doubles play, and a silver medal in women's singles.[3] At the 2010 Yonex National Championships, she and Martin Giuffre won the U23 Mixed Doubles title. Bruce also won bronze in Ladies' Singles, and silver in Ladies' Doubles with future Olympic partner Michelle Li.[4]

Personal life

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Her parents are David and Cindy Bruce. Her older brother, Max played football at Queens University and the University of Manitoba. She graduated from Western University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Engineering Science (Civil Structural Engineering).[2]

2012 Olympics

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At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Bruce and Li finished last in the round-robin portion, losing all three of their matches.[5] However, the top two teams in the group were disqualified for attempting to intentionally lose matches so they would have an easier match-up in the quarterfinals.[6] The duo was advanced to their quarterfinals, where they defeated Australia's Leanne Choo and Renuga Veeran. Bruce and Li finished in fourth place, the best Canadian finish in badminton at the Olympic Games.[5]

She competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, in the mixed teams, mixed doubles (with Toby Ng) and women's doubles (with Phyllis Chan).[7]

Achievements

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Pan American Games

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Women's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2011 Multipurpose Gymnasium,
Guadalajara, Mexico
  Michelle Li   Iris Wang
  Rena Wang
21–15, 21–15   Gold
2015 Atos Markham Pan Am Centre,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  Phyllis Chan   Lohaynny Vicente
  Luana Vicente
20–22, 14–21   Bronze

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Atos Markham Pan Am Centre,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  Toby Ng   Phillip Chew
  Jamie Subandhi
9–21, 23–21, 12–21   Silver

Pan Am Championships

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Women's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2010 Clube Curitibano,
Curitiba, Brazil
  Michelle Li   Grace Gao
  Joycelyn Ko
21–16, 21–23, 12–21   Silver
2012 Manuel Bonilla Stadium, Miraflores,
Lima, Peru
  Phyllis Chan   Joycelyn Ko
  Christin Tsai
17–21, 21–17, 21–12   Gold
2013 Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto,
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  Phyllis Chan   Eva Lee
  Paula Lynn Obañana
15–21, 13–21   Silver
2014 Markham Pan Am Centre,
Markham, Canada
  Phyllis Chan   Eva Lee
  Paula Lynn Obañana
9–21, 11–21   Bronze

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2009 Coliseo Olímpico de la Universidad,
Guadalajara, Mexico
  Kevin Li   Alexander Pang
  Joycelyn Ko
18–21, 21–19, 18–21   Bronze
2010 Clube Curitibano,
Curitiba, Brazil
  Kevin Li   Toby Ng
  Grace Gao
7–21, 9–21   Silver
2012 Manuel Bonilla Stadium, Miraflores,
Lima, Peru
  Derrick Ng   Phillipe Charron
  Phyllis Chan
21–5, 21–6   Gold
2013 Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto,
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  Toby Ng   Howard Shu
  Eva Lee
21–12, 23–21   Gold
2014 Markham Pan Am Centre,
Markham, Canada
  Toby Ng   Phillip Chew
  Jamie Subandhi
21–16, 19–21, 21–18   Gold

Commonwealth Youth Games

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Girls' doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2008 Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune, India   Michelle Li   P. C. Thulasi
  N. Sikki Reddy
18–21, 8–21   Silver

BWF International Challenge/Series

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Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2011 Banuinvest International   Michelle Li   Sonia Olariu
  Florentina Petre
21–15, 21–14   Winner
2011 Brazil International   Michelle Li   Iris Wang
  Rena Wang
11–21, 21–15, 21–8   Winner
2011 Brazil International   Michelle Li   Eva Lee
  Paula Lynn Obañana
14–21, 17–21   Runner-up
2011 Puerto Rico International   Michelle Li   Grace Gao
  Joycelyn Ko
24–22, 15–21, 21–11   Winner
2011 Canadian International   Michelle Li   Nicole Grether
  Charmaine Reid
21–10, 13–21, 21–16   Winner
2012 Finnish Open   Michelle Li   Chow Mei Kuan
  Lee Meng Yean
21–19, 12–21, 21–16   Winner
2012 Peru International   Michelle Li   Nicole Grether
  Charmaine Reid
21–18, 21–18   Winner
2012 Tahiti International   Michelle Li   Eva Lee
  Paula Lynn Obañana
13–21, 12–21   Runner-up
2013 Canadian International   Phyllis Chan   Eva Lee
  Paula Lynn Obañana
15–21, 14–21   Runner-up
2014 Brazil International   Phyllis Chan   Nicole Grether
  Charmaine Reid
11–10, 10–11, 11–8, 11–5   Winner
2015 Polish Open   Phyllis Chan   Pradnya Gadre
  N. Sikki Reddy
16–21, 18–21   Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2011 Guatemala International   Derrick Ng   Toby Ng
  Grace Gao
20–22, 14–21   Runner-up
2011 Canadian International   Derrick Ng   Toby Ng
  Grace Gao
15–21, 19–21   Runner-up
2012 Peru International   Derrick Ng   Toby Ng
  Grace Gao
10–21, 15–21   Runner-up
2012 Tahiti International   Derrick Ng   Ross Smith
  Renuga Veeran
21–23, 14–21   Runner-up
2013 Canadian International   Toby Ng   Nathan Robertson
  Jenny Wallwork
9–21, 12–21   Runner-up
2014 USA International   Toby Ng   Phillip Chew
  Jamie Subandhi
18–21, 25–23, 21–9   Winner
2016 Brazil International   Toby Ng   David Obernosterer
  Elisabeth Baldauf
21–12, 21–15   Winner
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alexandra Bruce". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Alexandra Bruce". Canadian Olympic Committee. October 25, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  3. ^ "Lam and Bruce superb combining for five medals as Western Mustangs badminton team wins national silver medal". Western Mustangs. May 20, 2009. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  4. ^ "Giuffre and Butler successful at U-23 Nationals". Western Mustangs. May 25, 2010. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Lidell, Mackenzie (August 1, 2012). "Canada Gains from Badminton Scandal, Advances to Semis". CTV Olympics. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  6. ^ "8 Badminton Players Disqualified for Throwing Matches". CTV Olympics. Associated Press. August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  7. ^ "Glasgow 2014 - Alex Bruce Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
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