Nicola Clare Sanders (born 23 June 1982) is a former British track and field sprinter. She began her career as a 400 metres hurdles specialist before concentrating on the 400 metres from 2006 onwards. Her 400 metres personal best is 49.65 seconds. She holds the British indoor record with 50.02 seconds, which ranks her as the fifth fastest woman of all-time indoors. Sanders career peaked in 2007 when she won the 400 metres at the 2007 European Indoor Championships (breaking the British Indoor record), and ran a personal best to win the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships behind compatriot Christine Ohuruogu. In the 4×400 metres relay, she won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (retroactively awarded in 2017) and a gold medal at the 2012 World Indoor Championships. She also won four World Championship relay bronzes. After two years of struggling with injury, she announced her retirement from athletics in October 2014. Early achievements Sanders won a bronze medal in the 1999 European Athletics Junior Championships in Riga at 400 m hurdles. That same year she was 4th in the 400 m hurdles at the World Youth Championships. In 2000, she was 5th in the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics, but won gold in the Commonwealth Youth Championships. She grew up in Amersham and went to Amersham School. 2005 to 2006 In 2005, she finished 6th (4th 4 × 400 m relay) at the World Student Games. In the 2005 Helsinki World Championships Sanders reached the semi finals. Together with Lee McConnell, Donna Fraser and Christine Ohuruogu she won a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay. She was 4th in the Commonwealth Games of 2006 in the 400 m hurdles and was part of the team that won the 4 × 400 m relay, but they were subsequently disqualified. Since then she has focused on 400 m (due to injury issues) and rarely participates in hurdles races. She finished 6th in the 400 m final at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg. 2007 to 2008 In 2007, she took gold in the 400 m competition in the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham, with a personal best and national record of 50.02 seconds. This was the 5th fastest indoor 400 m time in history. She also won a bronze in the 4 × 400 m relay. In 2007, she had