By age 20, most girls in the country are either beginning the last leg of college education at best or at worst, engaging in the sort of activity that led the Almighty to destroy Biblical wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in hail and brimstone.

But for Linet Masai who turned two decades on February 23, sports writers around the world are struggling to find suitable superlatives to pen her continued rise as one of the globe’s most forceful female distance running marvels.

Linet Masai on her way to victory in the 10,000m race at the National Championships at Nyayo National Stadium last month. Photo: Stafford Ondego/Standard

Her elegant legs have already won her World Cross junior gold (Mombasa 2007) and World Cross senior bronze (Edinburgh 2008) and silver (Amman 2009) medals.

At her first Olympic Games in Beijing last August, Masai finished a credible fourth in a world junior record time of 30:26.50.

For the last three years, the soft spoken but genial youngster born in the strife hit Kapsakwony, Mt Elgon District has been her country’s most consistent challenger to the might of the Ethiopians at global competitions.

Her name was first off the hat as Athletics Kenya (AK) named the women’s 10,000m team for Berlin.

Then AK chair, Isaiah Kiplagat made the odd statement, "We are prepared to field only Linet in Berlin if other runners fail to qualify for Berlin."

It was a statement of Masai’s stature that her young shoulders can be trusted to bear the burden of bringing glory to a proud athletics nation.

In March, when she finished outside the top-ten after suffering a stitch at World Cross Trials, AK wasted no time in giving her a wildcard. She reciprocated the faith by winning the second medal behind compatriot Florence Kiplagat.

At the slow women’s 10,000m Berlin Trial final at the New KCC/AK National Championships at Nyayo Stadium, Masai dispelled the need for the federation to grant her outside selection.

She was the only female athlete who has beaten the 31:00.0 A-Standard qualification that fulfilled the requirement of finishing among the top-two to gain automatic entry. She won in 32:49.3 after running unchallenged in the last three laps.

"I will try my best to perform well. I always feel happy to represent my country and I have two months before Berlin that I intend to use for preparation here."

Masai has had a shining opening to the track season that has seen her upset the seemingly invincible double Olympic champion, Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) at the Reebok Grand Prix (14:35.39) on May 22.

Another highlight is setting a personal best over 5,000m (14:34.36) at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting where she lost first place by a few kicks to Africa champion, Meselech Melkamu.

"I will try to handle them (Ethiopians) in Berlin. I’m more experienced now and although I cannot say I will beat Dibaba or any of them at the World Championships, I’m happy with the way my career is shaping," Masai said.

To beat Kenya’s biggest adversaries, Masai reveals, "You have to start pushing early and run strong since they can finish you with their kick and that requires serious training."

Second finisher at Berlin Trials, Lineth Chepkurui, is yet to gain Berlin qualification while third and fourth placed Philes Ongori and Peninah Arusei who have World Championship entry times were considered by AK to "Be too far behind to be considered."