Ivashchenko was born in
Omsk, Russia on 28 December 1984. She won a silver medal (
2008) and two bronze medals (
2007,
2011) at the
World Judo Championships (and World Open Judo Championships). She also had four gold medals (
2007,
2009,
2011,
2012) and one bronze medal (
2006) at the
European Judo Championships. She competed at the
2012 Summer Olympics in the
+78 kg event and lost in the
repechage to
Iryna Kindzerska. She committed suicide in
Tyumen, Russia, at the age of 28 on 15 June 2013. ==References==