A track athlete who ran the 400 meters, Miss Kovalenko was a coach before becoming an elementary school teacher.
[citation needed] In 2017, the book 'Medal Maker' written by Roger Vaughan on the Kovalenko's life and sailing career was published.
In four years, he coached former rower Larisa Moskalenko and her crew, Iryna Chunykhovska to a bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
[3] His début as Australia's coach at 2000 Sydney Olympics resulted in gold medals for both the men's and women's teams in the 470 class.
Immediately after the Sydney Olympics, he was appointed the inaugural Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport Sailing Program.
[9] Australia missed the podium in Athens (2004), but at the 2008 Beijing Olympics both Kovalenko's men's and women's 470 class teams each won gold medals.
[9] At the 2012 London Olympics, the team of Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page won gold for Australia in the 470 class.