 Kọ itẹsiwaju fun paragirafi yii - A bi Oksana Kovalyova , o gba ami ẹyẹ kariaye akọkọ rẹ ni 1987 European Athletics Junior Championships : , ti o pari bi oludije si Diana Dietz ti East Germany ni awọn mita 200. Awọn mejeeji tun pari yii ni relay 4 × 100 mita, nibiti ẹgbẹ awọn obinrin Soviet ti o pẹlu Lyudmila Dmitriadi gba ipo keji. O yi orukọ rẹ pada si Stepicheva ni ọdun 1989 o si dije labẹ orukọ yẹn fun iyoku iṣẹ rẹ. 