They have been at the forefront of Women's Bridge since time began. Here are the famous squad from Austria.

Maria Erhart

Born 1944 in Vienna, Maria did her studies at the world trade university there, started her job in merchandising, afterwards in a leading position of marketing research.

Bridge came to her life relatively late at the age of 24, but just a year later she won her first (bronze) medal at the Women's European Championships. Some years of playing in the Austrian Open team were followed by sabbatical years following career commitments and illness, and then she started playing again in the European and World majors, with great success with the young Austrian women team, and also won some of the large European pairs tournaments with different partners.

For 15 years she has lived in the beautiful Tyrol, married to Peter, a medical doctor, where she does her job as a medical assistant and looks after the commercial side of his profession.

It takes more than four hours to go to Vienna and restricts the opportunity for training with her teammates, but affords her more time and opportunities to pursue her other hobbies, like being responsible for the social community affairs of her city's government, skiing, playing tennis and golf, sometimes treating Peter's piano and sometimes going to the great music festivals of Salzburg and Bayreuth.

Doris Fischer

Doris Fischer was born in Vienna in 1959. She studied German and History and has been working as a high school teacher since 1983. During her childhood she loved all kinds of card games and she often watched her parents playing rubber bridge. But her leisure time was captured by her handball activities. Soon after she had become a member of the Austrian ladies team a knee operation stopped her ambition in 1985. When she - some months later - accepted the invitation of one of her colleges at school to play a club tournament with him, she would never have imagined that from that day on bridge should play a central role in her life.

In 1987 Doris formed a partnership with Terry Weigkricht. The two of them played for Austria in the Olympiad in 1988; their first big successes came in 1991 and 1992 when they became European Champions in Ireland, Vice World Champions in Japan and Olympic Champions in Italy.

Apart from her bridge activities Doris loves reading, music and going to the theatre.

Theresa Weigkricht

Born 1958, Terry lives in Vienna and teaches mathematics and French. She began playing bridge in 1976 and joined in the Austrian ladies team in 1987. Her main successes in bridge have been gold medals in the European Championships in 1991 in Killarney; the World Women's Team Olympiad, 1992, Salsomaggiore, and the Mc Connell Cup in 1998 in Lille. She also has silver medals in the 1991 Venice Cup in Yokohama and in the 1999 European Championships in Malta.

Sylvia Terraneo

Born in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and now lives in Vienna. Married since 1986 to Franz Terraneo. By profession she is an IT corporate trainer. Besides bridge, her hobbies are traveling, board games and music.

A member of the gold medal team in the McConnell Cup in Lille, France, in 1998. She also has silver medals in the Mixed Pairs at the European Championships in 1990 at Bordeaux and in the Ladies Teams at the European Championships in Malta in 1999. Fourth-place finishes: 2000 and 2001Venice Cup and 2001 Ladies Teams at the European Championships.

Bridge players all over the world are familiar with the exploits of the Italian Open team, the New Blue Team.

Dano De Falco, 57 year old from Milan, now lives in Padova. He is a World Master and European Grand Master. Dano De Falco played with the legendary Blue Team with which he won one gold and two silver medals in World Championships. He won his third European gold medal in 1999 and the fourth two years later in Tenerife. In 1997 in Hammamet he won the first World Transnational Team Championships ang gold medal in 2000 at the Olympiad in Maastricht.

Giorgio Duboin, 41 year old from Turin. He is now a professional bridge player and is a World Master and European Grand Master. Giorgio Duboin started playing bridge when he was 13 and soon became one of the best juniors. With Guido Ferraro he won the European Junior Pairs and two MEC Championships. Playing with Bocchi he has won three European titles in 1997, 1999 and 2001, as well gold medal at the Olympiad in Maastricht in 2000, and silver at the European Pairs Championships in 1999. Playing for the Lavazza team he has won seven Italian team titles.

Guido Ferraro, 41 year old from Turin, professional bridge player. Currently he plays with De Falco and during the 80's was one of the best European juniors. The victory at the European Championships in Malta in 1999 was the first prestigious and important result in his career and this was followed by gold medal at the Maastricht Olympiad and a second European title in Tenerife in 2001. Playing for the Lavazza Team Guido Ferraro has won three Italian team titles.

Lorenzo Lauria, 54 year old from Rome, professional bridge player. He is World Life Master and European Grand Master. Lorenzo Lauria is currently the Italian player with most titles. In 1979 he won gold medal in the European team Championships and silver in the Bermuda Bowl. For seven years he has played in a vry successful partnership with Alfredo Versace. Together they have won two consecutive European Team Championships, 1n 1995 and 1997, the IOC Grand Prix in 1999, the Cavendish team event in 1996 and 1997, , the World K.O. Team Championship in 1998, the Olympiad in 2000 and a third European team title in Tenerife in 2001.

Alfredo Versace, 31 year old from Turin, living in Rome, professional bridge player. He is a World Life Master and European Grand Master: Alfredo Versace started playing bridge at age 12 and soon became (together with the Norwegian Helgemo) the strongest junior in the world. In 1990 he won the European Junior Team title. Playing with Lauria he has won two consecutive European Team Championships, in 1995 and 1997, the IOC Grand Prix in 1999, the Cavendish team event in 1996 and 1997, the World K.O. Team Championship in 1998, the Olympiad in 2000, a third European team title in 2001, as well six Italian titles.

Norberto Bocchi, 39 year old from Parma, World Master and European Grand Master, has been playing bridge since he was 17. He is now a professional bridge player. Norberto Bocchi has won the Italian Team Championships six times and for a record nine years has been first in the Italian ranking. With is partner, Giorgio Duboin, in addition to many other competitions, he has won three consecutive European Team Championships in 1997, 1999 and 2001, silver medal in the European Pairs Championships and gold at the Olympiad in Maastricht in 2000.