Published: Wednesday, 12th August, 2009 9:00am

Sanders dampens expectation

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Athletics

WINDSOR, Slough, Eton & Hounslow star Nicola Sanders has urged the British public not to expect miracles at next week's World Championships as she continues her return to full fitness, writes Tom Reynolds.

The 27-year-old has been easing herself back to action over the past couple of months since injuring her ankle in training, a setback that ruled her out of the European Team Championships.

Sanders has looked every inch the athlete that claimed 400m silver at the 2007 World Championships since making her return with victories in Crystal Palace, Sweden and Greece ensuring her place in the Team GB squad bound for Berlin.

But despite admitting the 400m field, which includes World and Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu is wide open, Sanders is adamant she is not yet recording the times which will earn her a medal in the German capital.

"The injury is fine and it has been nice to come back and get a few wins but it would have been even better if I could have run some good times," said Sanders, whose 2009 PB of 51.21 seconds is almost a second-and-a-half slower than her silver-medal winning run in Osaka.

"It's frustrating because I haven't been able to run the times that I would have wanted but I have got some good races in so it has been good.

"I am starting to feel a bit better but I still don't know what sort of shape I am in at all because I haven't been able to run the times so it is very difficult to set myself any sort of goals.

"I would love to make the final but I will have to see how the rounds go and see what happens. It is a wide open field because while Sanya Richards has run very quickly the rest of the people have run very similar times so it is anyone's for the taking really.

"But it also means that because everyone is at a similar level it is going to be very hard to make it to the final and get there but that is the same as Osaka really so hopefully I can run well again."

Sanders warmed up for the Worlds at an Aviva-funded UKA preparation camp in Monte Gordo, Portugal along with the rest of the Team GB squad including Thames Valley Athletics Centre-based sprinter Marlon Devonish.

Devonish will compete in the 200m in Berlin and despite a stop-start season believes he is better placed to succeed than 12 months ago in the build-up to Beijing.

"Last year in Beijing I spent the year training towards the 100 metres and then when I got picked for the 200 I wasn't really that well prepared so it was difficult," said the 2004 Olympic sprint-relay gold medallist.

"But this year, despite the injuries, I have been training towards the 200m all the time so I feel a lot better about the shape I am in, so I feel a lot more confident than I did this time last year."

Fellow local athletes Nigel Levine and Laura Turner are also in Portugal as they put the finishing touches on their preparations for the 400m and 100m relays respectively.

Sanders is a GB&NI team athlete, benefiting from the Aviva funded UKA preparation camp ahead of the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Visit aviva.co.uk/athletics for more information.