Ouaziz
Challenge a family affairMorocco’s big hope for success in the
women’s short race on Sunday, Zohra Ouaziz, is part of a distance running dynasty.
Ouaziz’s father Mohammed, also her coach, was himself a talented cross country runner
at national level. His two younger daughters, Nadia and Salwa, are international distance
runners like Zohra. Nadia was 24th in the first ever World Junior women’s Cross
Country Championship in 1989. Salwa was second in this year’s Moroccan long course
championships and is in the squad for the short race for Marrakech. If selected she will
race alongside her big sister.
Zohra Ouaziz appears to have peaked perfectly for the Championships. In 1995 she was a
surprise bronze medallist in the World Championship 5000m after Sonia O’Sullivan and
Fernanda Ribiero. Her form dipped thereafter and she failed to qualify for the 5000m final
in Athens. This winter, however, she seems to be running better than ever. She lies fifth
in the IAAF World Cross Challenge standings and has just scored two impressive victories
in France. First she took the French title with more than one minute to spare over a good
field. Then she won the experimental "indoor cross country" race in Paris.
