Jacqueline Börner won her first international medal when she earned bronze at the 1987 European Allround Championships.

A top skater in her own right, Börner often finished behind compatriots such as Gunda Kleemann and Andrea Mitscherlich.

In August of that year, though, she got hit by an automobile while training on her bicycle, resulting in torn anterior cruciate ligaments.

Having recovered from her injuries, Börner returned to competition at the World Cup meeting in November 1991 and promptly won bronze on the 1500 m. After having finished 6th in the 1992 European Allround Championships, Börner participated in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and surprisingly beat Gunda Kleemann (who had since gotten married and was known as Gunda Niemann then) on the 1500 m by 0.05 seconds to become Olympic Champion.

Börner retired from speed skating at the end of 1996, although she participated in one more tournament (one for skaters of 35 years or older) in 2000.