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