Asmae Leghzaoui

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Asmae Leghzaoui (born August 30, 1978 in Fès ) is a former Moroccan long-distance runner .

Life

The daughter of devout Muslims hid her running gear in her satchel when she was at school, as her parents refused to let a woman bare her arms and legs. Only her coaches at high school and in the club managed to convince her of the talent of her daughter so that she could start an athletic career.

In 1996 she won the Moroccan championship in the 5000-meter run . She had her international breakthrough in 1999 when she finished seventh on the short distance at the World Cross Country Championships . The following year she became the African champion in the 5000-meter run and took 18th place in the 2000 Olympic Games in the 10,000-meter run .

After finishing seventh at the 2001 World Athletics Championships over the same distance and winning gold over 10,000 and silver over 5000 m at the 2001 Mediterranean Games , she turned to road running . She was tenth at the 2002 Half Marathon World Championships , and shortly thereafter she set a world record over 10 km in New York City with 30:29 min.

During a doping control at the 2003 Cross Country World Championships, she tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO). The avowed athlete said she had bought the drug a few months earlier together with her husband and trainer Mohammed Ar-Ar on the black market and injected it herself. She was given a two-year ban during which she gave birth to a daughter.

In 2005 she returned to competition, with protests from other athletes when she was invited by the organizer of a street run. Among other successes, she set a course record over 5 km at Freihofer's Run for Women .

At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, she finished 16th over 10,000 m. In 2008 she won the Ottawa Marathon .

Best times

Web links