Polina Tkalich (née Miller): Russia’s Rising Quarter-Mile Star
Full Name: Polina Andreyevna Tkalich (née Miller)
Date of Birth: June 9, 2000
Birthplace: Barnaul, Russia
Events: 400 metres, 200 metres
Club: CMS Krasnodar Territory
Coach: Nadezhda Klevtsova
Personal Best (400m): 50.14 (August 17, 2024 – Yekaterinburg)
Personal Best (200m): 23.15 (Smolensk, 2018)
Early Life and Introduction to Athletics
Born in Barnaul, the largest city in Russia’s Altai Krai region in southwestern Siberia, Polina Tkalich discovered her gift for sprinting at a young age. She began her competitive athletics career in 2014, quickly demonstrating the natural speed and competitive fire that would propel her to the top ranks of Russian sprinting. Under the guidance of her coach Nadezhda Klevtsova, the young sprinter developed the technical proficiency and race intelligence that would serve her well in the demanding 400-metre event.
Youth Career: Establishing International Credentials
Polina’s international breakthrough came during the 2018 season when she represented Russia (competing as an Authorized Neutral Athlete) at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. The talented 18-year-old advanced through the rounds in the 200 metres, ultimately finishing fourth in the final with a time of 23.32 seconds—a remarkable achievement against a world-class field that included future star Briana Williams of Jamaica.
That same year, she competed at the European U18 Championships in Győr, Hungary, where she demonstrated her versatility across the sprint distances. Her performances at these championships showed she possessed both the raw speed for the short sprints and the endurance capacity that would later make her such a formidable 400-metre runner.
The 2019 Breakthrough: European U20 Gold
The 2019 season marked Polina’s ascension to continental stardom. At the European U20 Championships in Borås, Sweden, she delivered a dominant performance in the 400 metres, claiming the gold medal in convincing fashion with a time of 51.72 seconds. Her victory margin over the field—including Great Britain’s Amber Anning (52.18) and Czech Republic’s Barbora Malikova (52.37)—demonstrated her superiority at the junior level.
Just weeks after her European triumph, Polina announced herself on the senior international stage at the Meeting de Madrid. In a statement performance that thrilled the Spanish crowd, she shattered the Russian U20 record with a stunning 51.00 seconds—becoming only the second Russian woman under the age of 20 to break the 51-second barrier. This performance confirmed what many in Russian athletics had already suspected: Polina Miller was destined for bigger things.
Senior Career and National Dominance
Transitioning to the senior ranks, Polina quickly established herself as one of Russia’s premier quarter-milers. Her consistency and competitive temperament have yielded an impressive collection of national titles:
She has claimed six Russian National Championship titles and three Russian Indoor National Championship titles, making her one of the most decorated active Russian sprinters. Her 2020 Russian National Championship victory in the 400 metres particularly showcased her ability to perform when it matters most.
The 2021 season saw Polina continue her winning ways on the international circuit, capturing the 400-metre title at the prestigious Palio Città della Quercia meeting in Rovereto, Italy. During this period, she also set her outdoor personal best of 50.76 seconds at a meeting in Tomblaine, France—a time that positioned her among the elite quarter-milers in Europe.
Indoor Excellence
Polina has proven equally formidable on the indoor circuit. On February 16, 2022, she blazed to a personal best of 50.71 seconds in the 400 metres (short track) at the Russian Indoor Championships in Saint Petersburg—a performance that demonstrated her technical mastery of the tight indoor turns. She also holds the Russian 300-metre indoor record with a time of 36.65 seconds, set at the LFK CSKA in Moscow on February 13, 2022.
In February 2024, competing at the Belarus Indoor Championships in Mogilyov as a guest athlete, Polina won the 400 metres in 51.57 seconds, continuing her tradition of excellence across borders.
Personal Best and Career Milestone: 2024
The 2024 season brought Polina’s most significant individual achievement to date. On August 17, 2024, at the Kalininets Stadium in Yekaterinburg, she lowered her personal best to an outstanding 50.14 seconds—a mark that places her among the fastest Russian women in history over the distance. This performance came at the Russian Championships, where she once again demonstrated her ability to deliver when the stakes are highest.
At age 24, this personal best suggests Polina still has room for further improvement as she enters what should be the prime years of her career.
Relay Contributions
Beyond her individual achievements, Polina has been a vital member of Russian relay squads. She contributed to the Krasnodar Territory team’s victory in the 4×100 metre relay at the 2022 Russian Championships, where the quartet of Victoria Zelikh, Natalya Pogrebnyak, Olesya Soldatova, and Polina clocked 45.19 seconds to claim the national title.
Her relay prowess extends to the 4×400 metres as well. Most recently, on July 13, 2025, she helped the Russian 4x400m relay team to a time of 3:26.75 at the Regional Sport Complex in Brest, Belarus—a performance that ranks among the fastest relay times in Russian history.
In June 2024, she was part of the Russian 4x400m relay team that clocked 3:23.95 in Kazan, running alongside Veronika Arkhipova, Antonina Krivoshapka, and Anna Sadovnicheva—a result that placed them among the top relay teams globally that season.
Authorized Neutral Athlete Status
Due to the ongoing suspension of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) by World Athletics, Polina has been among the select group of Russian athletes granted Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) status. In January 2022, World Athletics approved her application to compete internationally, recognizing her compliance with anti-doping protocols and eligibility requirements. This status allowed her to compete in select international competitions, though the broader ban on Russian athletes from World Athletics Series events following the events of March 2022 has limited her international opportunities.
Personal Life
Polina married fellow Russian sprinter Yaroslav Tkalich, and she now competes under her married name. Yaroslav is also a national-level sprinter who specializes in the 60 and 100 metres. The athletic couple represents an interesting partnership in Russian sprinting, with both competing at the highest levels of domestic competition. They have been spotted competing at the same meetings, including the 2024 Belarus Indoor Championships where both claimed victories in their respective events.
Current Status and World Ranking
As of early 2025, Polina Tkalich is ranked #36 in the World Athletics women’s 400-metre rankings—a testament to her continued excellence despite the challenges facing Russian athletes on the international stage. Her current personal best of 50.14 seconds makes her one of the fastest active European quarter-milers.
Career Statistics Summary
Personal Bests:
- 400m (outdoor): 50.14 (August 17, 2024 – Yekaterinburg, Russia)
- 400m (indoor/short track): 50.71 (February 16, 2022 – Saint Petersburg, Russia)
- 300m (indoor): 36.65 (February 13, 2022 – Moscow, Russia)
- 200m (outdoor): 23.15 (2018 – Smolensk, Russia)
- 200m (indoor): 23.77 (2018 – Moscow, Russia)
- 4x400m relay: 3:23.95 (June 16, 2024 – Kazan, Russia)
Major Honors:
- 2019 European U20 Championships – Gold (400m)
- 2018 World U20 Championships – 4th place (200m)
- 6x Russian National Champion
- 3x Russian Indoor National Champion
- Russian U20 Record Holder (51.00 – Madrid 2019)
Social Media
Polina maintains an active presence on Instagram under the handle @p_a_tkalich (formerly @p_a_miller), where she shares training insights, competition updates, and glimpses into her life as a professional athlete.
Looking Ahead
At 25 years old, Polina Tkalich is entering what many consider the peak performance years for a 400-metre specialist. Her recent personal best and continued dominance on the domestic circuit suggest she has the potential to challenge for sub-50-second performances—a barrier crossed by only a handful of Russian women in history. While the geopolitical situation continues to limit her international opportunities, Polina remains one of the brightest talents in Russian sprinting, and her story is far from finished.
For those who follow quarter-mile running, Polina Tkalich represents the best of what Russian sprinting has to offer: technical excellence, competitive fire, and the consistency that marks a true champion. Whether racing on the domestic circuit or in the international competitions available to her, she continues to add to a career that already stands among the most accomplished of her generation.
