Born in Khabarovsk in the Russian SFSR, she started out as a sprint and long jump specialist.

She failed an in-competition doping test in February 2007 for excess testosterone and was banned from competition for two years.

[2] At the start of 2012 she cleared a personal best of 14.60 m – a mark which ranked her tenth in the world for the triple jump that year.

[5] She improved this by two centimetres to defend her triple jump title at the Universiade in Kazan, setting a Games record in the process.

[2] She claimed her first win on the IAAF Diamond League circuit with a jump of 14.52 m at the London Grand Prix.