[2] Gushchina represented Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing competing at the 4x100 metres relay, together with Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yuliya Chermoshanskaya and Yevgeniya Polyakova.

[1] In August 2016, Gushchina and her three Russian teammates were stripped of their Olympic gold medal due to a doping violation by Chermoshanskaya.

[3][4] With the 2017 announcement of the disqualification of the 2012 Russian 4x400 team, due to the doping violation of Antonina Krivoshapka, all three of Gushchina's Olympic medals have been taken away.

In the 2013 World Championships, during the medal ceremony for the women's 4×400 metres relay images of Kseniya Ryzhova and Yuliya Gushchina[n 1] sharing a kiss on the lips spread through social media and were interpreted as a protest against the anti-gay laws.

[5] Both Ryzhova and Gushchina denied any intention to make such a protest, rather they were simply happy with their athletic success, and stated that they were married to men.