| Russian and Ukrainian sports people often come first | | | | Australia in 1999 and 2002. |
| at the World class sport tournaments. I want to tell | | | | Tennis star Maria Sharapova has a lot going for her. |
| about 3 slavic women who became famous all over | | | | At 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 Ukrainian | | | | the Siberian region) on April 19, 1987, she began playing |
| swimmer, who has won five Olympic medals in her | | | | tennis 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 individual | | | | currently resides) to train at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis |
| medley and the 400 meter individual medley at the | | | | Academy. Aside from helping to hone Sharapova's |
| 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics; her silver medal | | | | skills, Bollettieri is also responsible for the success of |
| came in the 800 meter freestyle at the 2000 Summer | | | | many other tennis stars, such as Andre Agassi, |
| Olympics. She has also won ten titles at swimming's | | | | Monica Seles, and Venus and Serena Williams. |
| world championships, nineteen european championship | | | | Sharapova began climbing the ranks in the World |
| titles, and currently holds both the short-course and | | | | Tennis Association (WTA), earning her first |
| long-course world records in the 400 meter individual | | | | tournament title in Japan in 2003. Her crowning |
| medley. In 2003 she won four golds at the Summer | | | | moment came in 2004, when she won Wimbledon at |
| Universiade in South Korea. She was also awarded | | | | a mere 17 year of age, solidifying a consistent spot in |
| the Hero of Ukraine medal. In 2004, she was named | | | | the top five. Off the court she is known for her looks. |
| by Swimming World magazine as the World Female | | | | She 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 a | | | | Canon 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 players | | | | on the court are what set the two apart. |
| worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for | | | | In just the past two years she has become the poster |
| images of Kournikova made her name (or misspellings | | | | child for women's tennis. Billboards promoting the sport |
| of it) one of the most common search strings on | | | | feature 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 and | | | | the sport, ushering in a new era of rising stars and |
| Sergei Kournikov; her family later emigrated to the | | | | helping 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 been | | | | take in over $20 million, most of which will come from |
| curtailed for the past several years, and possibly | | | | her endorsements--the most recent a three-year $6 |
| ended, by serious back and spinal problems. She has | | | | million deal with Colgate-Palmolive. But it is tennis where |
| had some success at the singles game, but her | | | | her focus lies. She carries with her a streak of 17 |
| specialty has been doubles, where she has at times | | | | straight wins on grass heading into Wimbledon 2005, |
| been the world's No.1 doubles player. With Martina | | | | where she will defend her 2004 championship at the |
| Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles in | | | | prestigious event. |