Famous Russian and Ukrainian Girls- Maria Sharapova- Anna Kournikova and Yana Klochkova

Russian and Ukrainian sports people often come firstAustralia in 1999 and 2002.
at the World class sport tournaments. I want to tellTennis star Maria Sharapova has a lot going for her.
about 3 slavic women who became famous all overAt only 18 years of age she has become the world's
the world for their sport and none sport achievements.highest paid female athlete. Born in Nyagan, Russia, (in
Yana Oleksandrivna Klochkova is a Ukrainianthe Siberian region) on April 19, 1987, she began playing
swimmer, who has won five Olympic medals in hertennis at a very young age. By the time she was nine
career, with four of them being gold.she had moved to Bradenton, Florida, (where she
Her gold medals came in the 200 meter individualcurrently resides) to train at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis
medley and the 400 meter individual medley at theAcademy. Aside from helping to hone Sharapova's
2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics; her silver medalskills, Bollettieri is also responsible for the success of
came in the 800 meter freestyle at the 2000 Summermany other tennis stars, such as Andre Agassi,
Olympics. She has also won ten titles at swimming'sMonica Seles, and Venus and Serena Williams.
world championships, nineteen european championshipSharapova began climbing the ranks in the World
titles, and currently holds both the short-course andTennis Association (WTA), earning her first
long-course world records in the 400 meter individualtournament title in Japan in 2003. Her crowning
medley. In 2003 she won four golds at the Summermoment came in 2004, when she won Wimbledon at
Universiade in South Korea. She was also awardeda mere 17 year of age, solidifying a consistent spot in
the Hero of Ukraine medal. In 2004, she was namedthe top five. Off the court she is known for her looks.
by Swimming World magazine as the World FemaleShe often takes modeling jobs and works on her
Swimmer of the Year.endorsements, the likes of which include Motorola,
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (born June 7, 1981) is aCanon and Honda Japan. The attractive six-foot-tall
retired Russian professional tennis player and model.blond often draws comparisons to fellow Russian
Although she never won a major singles tournament,tennis-pro-turned-model Anna Kournikova, but her skills
she became one of the best known tennis playerson the court are what set the two apart.
worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking forIn just the past two years she has become the poster
images of Kournikova made her name (or misspellingschild for women's tennis. Billboards promoting the sport
of it) one of the most common search strings onfeature giant images of Sharapova as "Maria Mania"
Google.sweeps the globe. She has become the top-draw in
She was born in Moscow, Soviet Union to Alla andthe sport, ushering in a new era of rising stars and
Sergei Kournikov; her family later emigrated to thehelping to broaden the field after years of Williams
United States. Presently, she resides in Miami, Florida.sisters' dominance. 2005 finds Sharapova on pace to
Kournikova's major-league tennis career has beentake in over $20 million, most of which will come from
curtailed for the past several years, and possiblyher endorsements--the most recent a three-year $6
ended, by serious back and spinal problems. She hasmillion deal with Colgate-Palmolive. But it is tennis where
had some success at the singles game, but herher focus lies. She carries with her a streak of 17
specialty has been doubles, where she has at timesstraight wins on grass heading into Wimbledon 2005,
been the world's No.1 doubles player. With Martinawhere she will defend her 2004 championship at the
Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles inprestigious event.