Career
She specialized in the 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay. She competed for the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics, in the heats of the relay competition. At the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships Shmonina tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol and the Russian 4x400 relay team lost the gold medal.
Shmonina was also handed a four-year ban from sports for the anti-doping rule violation.