She won the 2006 Women's Junior World Championships in the 58 kg category, with a total of 231 kg.
Tsarukaeva participated in the women's -58 kg category at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships and won the silver medal, finishing behind Qiu Hongmei. She snatched 108 kg and clean and jerked an additional 125 kg for a total of 233 kg, 4 kg behind winner Qiu.
At the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships she won the silver medal in the 63 kg category, with a total of 250 kg.
Tsarukaeva entered the 2008 Summer Olympics as the favourite for the 63 kg event, but she failed in all three of her attempt at 107 kg in the snatch and did not qualify for the clean & jerk. It was originally reported that she deliberately hit her head on the wall in frustration whilst exiting to the warm-up area, but video makes it clear that it was accidental, leaving her in floods of tears.
