Gansky won the European Junior Championship as a 17-year-old in 1981, but she needed a few more years before she was able to compete with the already strong discus team of East Germany. She stood in the shadows of Martina Hellmann (who she only beat at the 1986 European championship). For a long time she trained with Gabriele Reinsch, the world record holder since July 1988 when she threw 76.80 meters. During her career Gansky reached 70 meters in 24 meetings, more than any other woman.