Born Susanne Helm in
Suhl, she finished seventh at the
1983 World Championships and fourth at the
1986 European Championships. She began the 1987 season well with a win at the
Hochsprung mit Musik meeting, taking the title with a leap of 2.00 m. She maintained her form indoors and won the silver medal at the
1987 World Indoor Championships with a lifetime best of 2.02 metres. Her season peaked with a bronze medal at the
1987 World Championships, scoring a lifetime outdoor best of 1.99 metres. At the European Indoor Championships she won the silver in
1985 and a bronze in
1987. She represented the sports team
SC Dynamo Berlin and became East German champion in 1983, 1985 and 1987. Her outdoor personal best jump of 1.99 metres ranks her eighth among German high jumpers, behind
Ariane Friedrich (2.06),
Heike Henkel (2.05),
Ulrike Meyfarth (2.03),
Heike Balck (2.01),
Alina Astafei (2.01),
Rosemarie Ackermann (2.00) and
Daniela Rath (2.00) and joint with
Kerstin Brandt. Her indoor best of 2.02 m, ranks her fourth on the German all-time indoor list, behind Henkel (2.07), Friedrich (2.05) and Astafei (2.04). ==International competitions==