Following World War II, German competitors were barred from international events for several years. West Germany debuted at Worlds in 1951 and East Germany in 1962. In 1954, Gundi Busch (West Germany) became the first German to win a World ladies' title. East German ladies would grow more successful – Gabriele Seyfert, Christine Errath, Anett Pötzsch, and Katarina Witt won a total of nine World titles.