Agent Says Chicago Marathon Winner Paid to Avoid Doping

Published by the Chicago Tribune on December 3, 2014

The agent for three-time Bank of America Chicago Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova said she paid the Russian track federation more than $600,000 to avoid a doping suspension, the French sports newspaper L’Equipe reported Wednesday.

L’Equipe’s story was based on knowledge of a deposition the runner's agent, Andrei Baranov, gave to the ethics commission of the international track federation (IAAF) after Baranov filed a complaint about the Russian federation’s handling of the situation.

According to the newspaper, Shobukhova had violated doping rules in 2011 but was allowed to compete in the 2012 Olympics, where she did not finish the marathon, after paying the money in three installments in January, June and July, 2012.

The Russian federation eventually gave Shobukhova a two-year ban in April 2014 for irregularities in her biological passport that indicated blood doping.  The federation annulled all her results after Oct. 9, 2009, which included all three Chicago wins and her 2010 London Marathon victory.

While the case is in the appeals process, Shobukhova still is listed as Chicago champion in 2009-10-11.