Sabine AUKEN

Born: January 4, 1965 in Bamberg , Germany.
Current Home : Charlottenlund , Denmark

Profession: Marketing Financial Products

Significant Partnerships:
1986- : Daniela von Arnim
1995- : Jens Auken

Sabine Auken (nee Zenkel) may be only 42 years old, but she has already 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.

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)

Ambitions: Sabine says: “My ambition in life is to always be able to be there for my friends when they need me. And to teach my children respect for other people's feelings, needs, their mere existence”

In bridge: “The most fascinating aspect of bridge for me on the social side is that it brings together people of different races, ages, sex, religious and political beliefs to compete with and against one another on equal terms and nobody seems to have any problem with it at all. Bridge is the one sport I know where women are able to compete with and against men on an equal level in serious competition. This to me is a unique feature bridge has to offer and I would wish officials would use this fact in marketing bridge to the public instead of their present efforts to separate men and women in order to conform with other sports. This to me is against any sound marketing laws. Who is paying attention to what is conform and just like everything else? It's uniqueness most of us are seeking, not being like every one else. And only areas that are different and offering a new perspective will attract especially the young people's attention.”

Sabine is currently working on a bridge book, lots of deals of course, but also other stuff, opinions, views, suggestions etc. When will it be published? When it's finished. I have currently written 9 of the 16 chapters that are planned and am working on 10. Title? Not decided yet. A very difficult issue.

Hobbies:

Golf. Sabine took up golf a couple of years ago and tells us that she is pathetic at it, but absolutely loves it.

Skiing. Sabine 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!

Running. Sabine goes running almost every day for about 45 minutes.

Swimming. Definitely yes.

Tennis. If someone asks her to play tennis, she says: “I can provide a catcher and a cute tennis outfit, but don't ask me about the quality of my game!”

About her car, Sabine notes that Denmark is one of the most expensive countries in the world, at least when it comes to cars. Not having to give consideration to any national car production companies Denmark has boosted car taxes so much, that a car will typically cost 2½ times as much as most other places in Europe. So buying a car is a well thought over process in Denmark . I am currently owner of a very old Mercedes 190, that was driven before by Jens for many years, who once had bought it used from someone who also already had driven it for many years. It is so old that in the winter almost every day when the temperature drops below zero I have to call Falck (car assistance company) to help me start the engine. Now we have decided next year we will be able to afford a new car for me. When Jens asked me what I would like for my new car, I had my answer ready: " I do not know its first name, but its last name is convertible.