Chicago Marathon: Liliya Shobukhovas' Three-Peat Cements Her Status as Legend

Liliya Shobukhova is truly a legendary long distance runner. As she was finishing off the first Chicago three-peat since Michael Jordan was donning a Bulls uniform, she also qualified for the 2012 Russian Olympic team. Today was a good day.

She became the first woman to win the Chicago Marathon three years in a row. That type of accomplishment is an achievement that stamps your ticket to greatness in the sport. The 2012 games will be her third Olympic appearance.

She competed in the 5000 meters at the 2004 Athens Games and 2008 Beijing Games. She has been on a roll since then, as she has concentrated exclusively on road race events since.

Here is where she has found her niche and she has been dominant in two of the world's major marathon events.

Since then, she has placed no lower than third in either the London or Chicago Marathon. She has not competed in the events held in Boston, Berlin or New York. For her to accomplish this at 33-years-old is even more notable.

Shobukhova won the 2010 London marathon to go along with the three Chicago Marathon first place finishes.

While she needs to add Olympic goal to her resume to be considered in the same breath as Catherine Ndereba and Joan Benoit Samuelson. A three year domination at two of the five major marathon events in the world certainly puts her on the cusp of the conversation.

A golden performance in the 2012 London Games should do the trick.