Another Russian... oh wait Ausssie... Star

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/c ... 02,00.html

Another Russian waves Aussie flag for pole-vault
Greg Stolz, Gold Coast bureau chief
25feb04

RUSSIAN-born pole vaulter Katrina Miroshnichenko has cleared the latest bar in her bid to become Australia's next Tatiana Grigorieva.

Katrina, 17, became an Australian citizen in a ceremony on the Gold Coast yesterday, allowing her to wear the green and gold at the world junior athletics championships in Italy later this year.

It's a big career breakthrough for the blonde coast schoolgirl, who was denied a spot in the Australian team for last year's world juniors because her naturalisation papers had not come through.

Miroshnichenko hopes being granted citizenship will allow her to follow in the tracks of her friend and mentor, Tatiana Grigorieva, the Russian-born glamour pole vaulter who won a silver medal for Australia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

"It's really important for me to get my citizenship," Miroshnichenko said at the citizenship ceremony attended by Grigorieva. "I would like to compete for Australia at the Beijing Olympics in 2008."

Miroshnichenko and her Russian pole-vaulting champion brother Alex are training under their father, Sergey, at the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre on the Gold Coast. Sergey, a multiple Russian pole-vaulting champion, is also coaching Grigorieva as she attempts to qualify for this year's Athens Olympics.

Miroshnichenko qualified for the world juniors last month with a personal best of 3.95m, just 60cm short of Grigorieva's record.

Grigorieva was thrilled to see her young protege become an Aussie yesterday, saying it would "change her life".

"I know how happy I was when I became an Australian in 1999 and I understand how big this day is for Katrina," she said. "It's a huge step up, because now she is able to represent the country in the big official competitions like world championships."