Zhor El Kamch (el KAmsh) Morocco (1500-5000 metres/cross country)

Born March 15th 1973 in Tifelt, MAR

Zhor El Kamch, at 31, is amongst the most accomplished of all Moroccan athletes. Her main distinguishing mark is that she is truly an all-weather athlete: she excels not only on tracks (indoors and outdoors) and on the road but also over country trails.

Zhor began running at primary school, in her native village of Tifelt, in 1986. She left her village to study in Khemisset and join the famous track club, IZK, where other top names including Brahim Boutayeb, the 1992 10,000m Olympic Champion, used to compete.

When the “Wydad Tifelt” track club was created in her home town in 1989, Zhor returned to her native village. That same year she became World Schools Cross Country Champion for the first time in France. In 1989 she also finished third at 1500m in the World Schools Championships in Belgium. In 1998, she was part of the Junior Moroccan team that participated in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, and finished 17th.

In 1993 she joined the Sports Association of the Royal Moroccan Army for whom she competed at numerous international events, and was five times the World Military Cross Country Champion.

EL Kamch was also a member of the team that won the first short race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, in Marrakech, in 1990.

In 2004, Zhor took part in her first Marathon, in Rotterdam, winning with great distinction in a new Moroccan Record of 2:26.10. Zhor will take part in this mythical event in Athens, where her goal is to win a medal for Morocco.

Understandably extremely upset by the tragic loss of her husband in a car accident last month, Zhor is trying to stay focused on her dream.

Zhor El Kamch

World Schools Cross Country Champion in Fontainebleau, in 1989
3rd in the Schools World Championships over 1500m, in Bruges, in 1989
Team IAAF World Cross Country Champions short race, in Marrakech, in 1998
Team bronze medalist in IAAF World Cross Country Championships short race, in Belfast, in 1999
Team bronze medalist in IAAF World Cross Country Championships short race, in Vilamoura, in 2000
Semi-finalist in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in Sydney, in 2000
14th in the 5000m, at the IAAF World Championships, in Edmonton, in 2001
5th in the 3000m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, in Birmingham, in 2003
Gold medalist in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Jeux de la Francophonie, in Ottawa, in 2001
Five times World Military Cross Country Champion – short race (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004)
Silver Medalist in the 5000m at World Military Championships, in 200, in Italy
World Champion in the 5000m and the 10,000m at the World Military Championships in Bayreuth, in 2001
Winner of the Rotterdam Marathon in 2004 (in 2:26.10, national record)