Shot put champ is a keen rally driver

Thu 29/07/2010 20:12

Newly crowned European women’s shot put champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk admitted she is a keen rally driver in her spare time, spikesmag.com reports.

A friend, who is a semi-professional driver in her native Belarus, introduced her to the sport and she admitted she enjoys the thrill from driving fast.

“I like the adrenaline, she says. “The fastest I have driven is 200kmh and I have had no crashes.”

Ostapchuk believes the concentration learned from being an elite athlete helps her behind the wheel and she is a huge admirer of France’s six-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, whom she once met.

“A journalist friend set it for me to meet up at a Paris after-show in 2006 and I had my picture taken with him,” she expola excitedly.

However, Ostapchuk admitted she has no desire to take up rallying after her athletics career is over.

“I do it just for fun,” she added.