Witt was born in East Germany and began skating at the age of five. She went to a special school for athletic children, where she met her coach, Jutta Muller. Witt won the European Championships for the first time in 1983. She won the gold medal in the 1984 Winter Olympics, and also won the World Championships later that year. At the 1988 Winter Olympics, Witt and her rival, Debi Thomas, both performed to Bizet's music from the opera "Carmen." Their competition for first place was called the "Battle of the Carmens." Witt won gold, and her artistic performance became famous. Witt competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics and finished seventh. Afterwards, she retired from competition.