Liliya Shobukhova, the second-fastest woman ever at the marathon, is now not. RusAthletics, the Russian national governing body of sport, announced today that she is a dirty, dirty cheater.
Shobukhova, 36, was tattled on by her biological passport, which showed an "abnormal hematological profile." Her ban has been backdated to January 2013, and will extend to January 2015. The more dramatic announcement was that all results post-dated from October 9, 2009, will be wiped from the books, including a London Marathon win, three Chicago Marathon victories, and her national marathon record.
IAAF has not yet acknowledged or made an announcement, nor has Russian Anti-Doping or World Anti-Doping. But plenty of competitors have had something to think about with their coffee:
[Photo: AP Images]