As Tetyana Samolenko, she was the leading female middle-distance runner of the late 1980s. She is the 1988 Olympic champion at 3000 metres, the 1987 World champion at both 1500 metres and 3000 metres, and the 1987 World Indoor champion at 3000 metres. At 1500m, she also won Olympic bronze (1988), World Indoor silver (1987), European silver (1986) and the 1986 Goodwill Games title. Having given birth in 1990, she returned to competition in 1991 competing as Tetyana Dorovskikh, and retained her World title at 3000 metres, as well winning a silver medal in the 1500 metres final behind Hassiba Boulmerka. Her last major competition was the 1992 Olympic Games, where she won a silver medal in the 3000 metres and finished fourth in the 1500 metres final.