USC'S OBUKHOVA SOARING HIGH UKRAINIAN HAS GOOD SHOT AT TITLE.

Byline: Scott Wolf  Staff Writer

When she arrived in Los Angeles three years ago, Tatyana Obukhova had a limited vocabulary.

``Hi, my name is Tatyana, I'm from Ukraine and a triple jumper'' was about all Obukhova could muster.

It wasn't much, but Obukhova never hesitated coming to the United States despite little grasp of the language. After competing for her native Ukraine in the European Championships with a pair of broken spikes because uniforms and equipment were never furnished to athletes, learning English would be a minor obstacle.

``The (Ukrainian) government doesn't care,'' Obukhova said. ``There were rumors they sold (our equipment). We were like a gypsy team.''

As for her spikes, Obukhova ``got lots of tape and put them together.''

Today, Obukhova no longer worries about replacing worn-out shoes, but that's hardly the biggest change in her life. She has mastered English so well that she has become a representative for the USC track program.

She has frequently spoken to booster clubs and recently was interviewed by government officials checking to see if USC meets Title IX guidelines.

``When she walks out of here with a degree, it's an example of the positive things that come from sports,'' USC track coach Ron Allice said.

Obukhova, an All-American triple jumper, will also end her career as the first USC female athlete to win three consecutive Pacific-10 individual titles and hopes to lead the No. 2- ranked women's track team to the NCAA championship this week in Baton Rouge, La.

After finishing third in the triple jump at last year's NCAAs and helping USC win the national title, Obukhova believes she can finish first this time.

``It'll be hard but why not? That's my goal,'' she said.

For the first time, she has also qualified for the NCAA finals in the long jump, and if she scores points in that event, it could be crucial to USC's title chances.

``If she was an American, she would be in the top five in the U.S. in the triple jump,'' USC assistant coach Mike Pullins said. ``They're very proficient in that event in her country. It's easier to make it here than in Ukraine.''

It's been quite a journey for Obukhova to get this far. Her father is a captain in the Russian Navy and she has lived in Russia, Georgia and Ukraine.

She wanted to attend USC after another Ukrainian, pole vaulter Denis Kholev, attended the school. But before coming to America, she spent a year studying so she could pass the Scholastic Assessment Test. After passing the SAT and obtaining a visa, she finally arrived at USC.

``When I picked her up at the airport, you could see she was a European,'' Pullins said. ``She had these heels that were literally 10 inches high. That was the style over there.''

The language barrier also led to some false impressions.

``Everyone thought I was mean, but I didn't understand what they were saying,'' Obukhova said. ``My first year, I was confused and scared to talk to anyone.''

It was also difficult for her to understand Americans.

``People here are acting all the time. You can't tell when they're honest or phony,'' she said.

In turn, people here have had to adjust to Obukhova's upfront demeanor.

``She's a brutally honest person,'' said her boyfriend, USC football player Alex Holmes. ``Some don't understand it, but that's her personality.''

Her opinion has changed somewhat, especially after returning to Ukraine last summer.

``The people are nicer here, they have less problems,'' she said.

The culture shock of moving to the United States had an unintended result. Since she was on scholarship, Obukhova had the luxury of enjoying a little spending money.

``When I got my first stipend check, I thought I could finally buy as much food as I wanted and I bought candy and ice cream,'' she said.

Obukhova ended up gaining 15 pounds and said her ``head looked like a water melon.''

Said Pullins: ``If you saw a picture of her from her freshman year, you wouldn't recognize her.''

At her first track meet, she was embarrassed to take off her warm-up pants.

``I thought people would think, 'What is that shot putter doing on the runway?'' she said.

But Pullins worked with her and she lost the extra weight and eventually won her first Pac-10 title with a wind-aided jump of 43 feet, 9 inches. Not that she felt entirely comfortable.

``Afterward, we were singing the fight song and she clearly had no idea what it was,'' Pullins said. ``Now she jokes about it. Initially, there was an adjustment. But she has become a part of the team.''

Obukhova has won two more Pac-10 titles and not lost to a college triple-jumper this year.

``I wouldn't be surprised if she was standing on the top stair (at the NCAAs),'' Pullins said. ``She's physically really strong. She's built like a fireplug and that's her strength. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a two-foot increase in her personal record.''

That would mean going more than 45 feet, but Pullins feels she is capable of it.

``I felt last year we were disappointed even though she took third,'' he said. ``We gave up a foot at the NCAAs last year because her jumps were so far behind the board.''

Whatever happens this week, coming to USC has significantly changed her life. She would like to help coach next year and would like to remain in the United States after she graduates.

``When I went home last summer, it was the saddest part of my life,'' Obukhova said. ``The way the people live, the cars are so old. As soon as I got off the plane, I was like, 'Dad, I want to go back. Compared to America, it's terrible.''

TATYANA OBUKHOVA FILE

Hometown: Odessa, Ukraine.

Height: 5-5.

Class: Senior.

Events: Triple jump, long jump.

Personal: Three-time Pacific-10 Conference champion in triple jump. Finished third at the 2001 NCAA championships. Speaks three languages (Russian, Ukrainian, English).

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Triple jumper Tatyana Obukhova, who has won three consecutive Pacific-10 individual titles, leads No. 2-ranked USC women's track team in NCAA finals this weekend.

Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News

Box:

TATYANA OBUKHOVA FILE (see text)