Mercy Cherono wins gold in the women's 5000m as Janet Kisa bags Silver

Mercy Cherono of Kenya celebrates winning gold in the Women's 5000 metres final at Hampden Park during day ten of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on August 2, 2014 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Her beauty looks and the latest hairdo made a statement about Mercy Cherono’s mission in 5,000m final at Hampden Park Stadium last night.

That was no surprise for Cherono, who drew inspiration from her hairdo sporting of the Kenyan flag colours.

And Cherono, the Kenya Police woman and IAAF World 5000m silver medalist, then staged a clinical battle against Ugandan and Australian rivals and ensured Kenya retained the title double world champion Vivian Cheruiyot won in New Delhi in 2010.

Cherono, a two-time world cross-country junior champion atoned her poor shows in the Diamond League series this season.

The runner from Kipajit Village in Bomet County dictated the pace in the first two laps as Africa cross country silver medalist Janet Kisa and cross-country veteran Margaret Wangare keep in close tabs.

At the fourth lap, Cherono made a daring surge which Kisa and Wangare Wangare responded as Pavey Jo of England mounted a hot pursuit.

Cherono then wore the composure of a veteran controlling the race in bid for podium sweep but Pavey denied them a fourth straight sweep –after men and women 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m women.

She won the race in 15:07.21 ahead of KIsa (15:08.90) and Pavey (15:08.96). Margaret Wangare once again returned unlucky in fourth place in 15:10.38, he season best.

Cherono said: “I was on a mission here to win a medal and I have done it. The race was nice despite the heavy rains here. I am happy of what has happened and we are waiting to see if we can do the same in Morocco at the Africa championships next week. The England athlete was very strong as tested her several times.

She is now preparing to compete at the Diamnond League meeting in Birmingham.

Cherono says she loves Kenya with passion and the hairstyle will inspire her.

“I do this for the love of my country. I am proud to be a Kenyan,” she said.

Cherono has a season best time of 14:34.11, basks in brilliant shows at the junior level, having won 3,000m gold medal in World Youth and World Junior silver as well as two-time world cross-country champion.

 She teamed up wel with Africa cross country silver medalist Janet Kisa, who has a 14:52.59 best mark she set in Rome.

Kisa, who comes from Mt Elgon and trains in Iten, was out to claim the scalp as she has become unlucky in many occasions at global competitions despite brilliant shows within the continent.

Kisa, a Kenya Police athlete, was in the 2011 Africa Junior Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, where she won the 5000m silver medal before finishing sixth at the 2013 World Championships in cross-country in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Wangare, who started as a 1,500m runner, was unlucky again and will have to wait until the Africa championhips.

 Wangare started out as a 1500m runner finishing seventh at the 2007 All-Africa Games and eighth at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships that year before she placed sixth at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She also won silver at the Africa cross-country championships in 2012.