The Ukrainian woman left a cool career and left Kharkov for love. She was not afraid of Russia’s isolation

Now Natalya Pogrebnyak is happy in Russia.

Russian athletics has been in decline for many years due to the international ban. When our federation (ARAF) was rehabilitated, it was not possible for the athletes to go to competitions with their own flag and anthem, without having to wait for neutral status. A new ban has begun, but for the entire sport.

Even before the latest events, Russian athletics was shaken up by a change in sports citizenship. And not in favor of another country, but of Russia. At that time, it was something incredible, given the inability to fully travel to international competitions.

The sprinter became the heroine Natalia Pogrebnyak – European and Universiade champion, World Championship medalist as part of the Ukrainian national team.

A native of Kupyansk decided to change her life not because of political or any other problems related to sports. In the story of the change of sports citizenship, the main thing was love.

In 2017, Pogrebnyak married Russian triple jumper Dmitry Sorokin. After this, the athlete gave birth to a son. Living in two countries was problematic, including due to the political situation, so the champion decided to move to Russia. Being stateless for only 90 days was not enough for her.

“I couldn’t maintain dual citizenship, as I could have problems with the team management. They would call me to training camps, but I can’t leave my family. My husband and I had been dating at a distance for two years and hadn’t seen each other for months. I’m from Kharkov, and the border in Donbass was closed. So there was no direct route to Krasnodar; we only had to take a detour, through Moscow. The journey took a whole day with all the transfers. This had to stop someday.” the runner told SE.

So, in 2019, Pogrebnyak already competed as a Russian runner.

“The federation was understanding. Sport is sport, but personal life is also important. So the executive committee approved my transition. In the press, on the Internet, of course, after the news that the IAAF allowed me to compete for Russia, there were all sorts of comments. People just don’t know my situation and don’t understand why I made this decision.”Pogrebnyak admitted.

The new round of her career did not bring new international awards, but at domestic competitions Natalya often wins prizes. The runner also shares moments from her training and performances, and also helps everyone become a better runner.