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NAIROBI, July 11-- The pressure that comes with being Kenya team captain will not wear down World Junior 5,000m silver medalist Emmaculate Chepkirui from her ambition to break a world record on home soil. Chepkirui is aware that her senior Kenya team members will be watching from the stands and as a sign of morale, she wants to send them to the London World Championships in August with a clear message, that of a champion. At stake is the 10-year-old 3,000m record of 8:53.94, set by former World Championships silver medalist Mercy Cherono in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Cherono has stood out as a pillar of hope to Chepkirui. But with her not making the Kenya team to Landon, Chepkirui is devoted her time to write her own piece of history at the World Under18 Championships, which starts in Nairobi on Wednesday. "I have always wanted to be like her. Conquer my fears and rivals in the youth and junior stage before graduating to the senior ranks. Cherono broke the youth record and no one has done it until now. I have been thinking about it for some time and I believe I have the best form to carry that assignment out," she said. However, she warned that she will not be stupid to focus her energy on a world record at the expense of winning Kenya a gold medal. "What matters is the gold. The record will fall in depending on my strategy. But it is winning gold that I put first," she added. Chepkirui will not be working on winning the country its first gold medal alone. Every member of the Kenya team is out to carve a niche for themselves. | 
