Born in Angarsk, Konovalova began her athletics career as a 5000 metres track runner. She made her first major appearance over the distance at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics. There she finished in sixth place in the final with a time of 15:01.23. She had also run over 3000 metres at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships, where she was twelfth overall. She was fifth in that event the following year at the 1996 European Athletics Indoor Championships and won the bronze medal at the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final. Fourth in the 5000 m at the 1999 European Cup was followed by a seventh-place finish in the final of the event at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.