| Sabine AUKEN |
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Nata nel 1965 a Bamberga in Bavaria, figlia unica della famiglia Zenkel, laureata in economia all'Università di Augsberg, in gioventù impegnata nel marketing per conto di un Fondo di investimento etico, madre di due bimbi, oggi vive a Charlottenlunde in Danimarca con il suo secondo marito Jens Auken che è avvocato ed è stato un consigliere della WBF e uno dei migliori giocatori danesi.
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Ha iniziato a giocare a 14 anni disapprovata dai suoi genitoried ha esordito nella Nazionale Juniores del suo Paese nel 1983 e nello stesso anno ha vinto il suo primo titolo Europeo di Categoria in coppia con Anna Möller.
Sabine, che in prime nozze è stata sposata con il noto bridgista Ron Andersen, si rese celebre per la straordinaria impresa che compì nel 1989 battendo il record di Jeremy Flint che resisteva dal 1966 e conquistando con una permanenza negli Stati Uniti di sole otto settimane il titolo di Life Master!
Una meta che molti giocatori americani non riescono a raggiungere spendendo l'intera vita.
Due volte vincitrice della medaglia d'oro e tre di quella d'argento nella Venice Cup, Sabine domina la scena del bridge mondiale femminile da molti anni.
Sabine è anche una delle poche giocatrici al mondo ad aver conseguito nella speciale Categoria del Misto, un oro europeo a Squadre ed un argento mondiale a Coppie, giocando insieme con il marito.
Alle ultime Olimpiadi di Istanbul ha vinto il World Transnational Mixed Teams giocando in coppia con Zia Mahmood.
Insieme con Daniela Von Arnim ha formato un formidabile tandem che ha vinto, tra l'altro, per ben 3 volte il Campionato Europeo Ladies a Coppie ed anche il primo IOC Grand Prix.
Oltre che per la nazionale del suo Paese gioca anche nel team Dragon ed è al primo posto nella speciale classifica WBF delle Women World Grand Master in vita.
Nel 2008 ha contribuito a riportare la Warren Buffet Cup al di qua dell'Oceano.
Oltre al Bridge, ama il golf, lo sci, il tennis e correre all'aria aperta.
Sabine Auken (nee Zenkel), born January 4, 1965 in Bamberg,
Germany, current home in Charlottenlund, Denmark, has accumulated
an impressive array of championship medals. A WBF World Master, she has appeared
in seven Venice Cup competitions, winning twice and losing in the final once.
Along the way she has collected two gold and three silver medals in European
Championship Teams events, and has won four European Pairs Championships (three
Ladies and one Mixed). Add to that, wins in all of the major German national
championship events and a handful of US National titles and you can see why
Auken and Daniela von Arnim are today widely-regarded as Europe 's, and perhaps
the World's, leading female partnership.
Many American readers will remember Sabine's whirlwind visit in 1989. She broke the late Jeremy Flint's record of achieving Life Master status in 11 weeks by a full three weeks (although this record has since been beaten by an Icelandic international). She stayed in the US for a number of years and during that time was a regular on the US tournament circuit.
Her bridge and life partnership with Danish lawyer Jens Auken, an international star in his own right, has since led to Sabine's proudest moments so far -- the birth of Jens Christian in April 1995 and Maximilian in June 1999.
Sabine took up golf and tells us that she is pathetic at it, but absolutely loves it. She has been skiing, since she was a child and considers herself quite good at it and absolutely loves it, too. Going to tournaments like St. Moritz in winter where one can go skiing during the day and then just play one session every day after 4 pm is just a perfect combination! She goes running almost every day for about 45 minutes.
Major achievements: 1985 Won European Union Women's Pairs (with Anne Moeller) 1986 7th World Women's Pairs (with von Arnim) 1988 11th World Women's Teams Won German National Women's Pairs (with von Arnim ) 1989 Won European Women's Teams (1st ever German team to win a European Teams Championship) (Zenkel, von Arnim, Vogt, Schroeder, Caesar, Moegel) Losing semi-finalist in Venice Cup in Perth, Australia (Lost to Netherlands by 21 IMPs) (Zenkel, von Arnim, Vogt, Schroeder, Caesar, Moegel) Won German Grand National Teams Won US Life Masters Women's Pairs (with Rhoda Walsh) 1990 Won North American Women's Swiss Teams (Zenkel, von Arnim, Rosenkranz, Shuman, McCallum) 1991 5th in Venice Cup 2nd European Women's Teams 1992 Won German National Open Teams 2nd US Life Masters Women's Pairs (with Joan Jackson) 1993 Losing finalist in Venice Cup in Santiago, Chile (lost to USA by 64 IMPs) (Zenkel, von Arnim, Vogt, Nehmert, Caesar, Moegel) Won US Life Masters Women's Pairs (with Janice Seamon) 1994 2nd World Mixed Pairs (with Bob Hamman) Won European Mixed Pairs (with Georg Nippgen) 1995 Won Venice Cup in Beijing, China (Beat USA by 70 IMPs) (Auken, von Arnim, Nehmert, Rauscheid, Caesar, Moegel) Won European Ladies Pairs (with von Arnim) 2nd European Women´s Teams 1996 2nd European Mixed Teams 1997 Won European Ladies Pairs (with von Arnim) 1998 3rd Macallan Invitational Pairs (with von Arnim). 2nd World Women´s Teams (Auken, von Arnim, Farwig, Stawowy), 2nd World Women´s Pairs (with von Arnim), 3rd World Mixed Pairs (with Jens Auken), 1999 Won IOC Grand Prix Europe vs USA (Smith-Davies, d‘Ovidio-Bessis, Vriend-van der Pas, Auken-von Arnim), 2000 Won European Mixed Teams (Auken, Auken, Schaltz, Schaltz), 3rd Women's Team Olympiad in Maastricht (Auken, von Arnim, Nehmert, Rauscheid, Farwig, Stawowy). 2001 Won European Women´s Pairs (with von Arnim) Won Venice Cup in Paris , France (Auken, von Arnim, Nehmert, Rauscheid, Farwig, Hackett) (Beat France by 2½ IMPs), 2002 3rd Cap Gemini Invitational Pairs (with Klaus Reps), 2nd European Women's Teams (Auken, von Arnim, Nehmert, Rauscheid, Gromann, Weber), 3rd World Mixed Pairs (with Jens Auken), 2003 3rd European Mixed Teams Championships (Auken, Auken, Schaltz, Blakset).
