Her career at the highest level of competition lasted almost twenty years, starting with the 1990 European Athletics Championships.

Yatchenko's final major competition was the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, but she failed to register a valid throw in the qualifying rounds.

She retired from international competition in June 2010 and the Belarus National Olympic Committee held a ceremony to honour her career.

[2] Yatchenko is married to Igor Astapkovich, also a Belarusian Olympic medalist in hammer throw.

IOC subsequently disqualified her results from the Athens Olympics and she was made to return the bronze medal and diploma.