Sanders is a former 400m hurdler

Sanders, who was drawn in the outside lane, ran a blistering 23.31 seconds for the first 200m and managed to keep up the pace to clock a time of 50.02.

The 24-year-old finished nearly a second clear of silver medallist Ilona Usovich of Belarus.

Her time was the fastest in the world this year and beat Katharine Merry's previous record set six years ago.

Interview: 400m gold medallist Nicola Sanders

Sanders admitted being pre-race favourite for several weeks had played on her mind, but said: "I tried to ignore it and play it down - but it does get to you.

"Katharine's record was the ultimate aim. I knew it would be tough but to get it in the final is fantastic.

"I went out hard because I thought the Belarus athlete just inside me would try to have a go to 200m.

"I knew I had to get out there at the bell and make it hard work for them to go around me. From then on I wasn't thinking about what was happening behind."

Controversial Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou reached the 60m final on her return to international athletics.

Thanou said she was satisfied with her display in Birmingham

Thanou, 32, who has just come back from a two-year ban after missing three drugs tests before the 2004 Olympics, was booed by the crowd before her heat.

But she won her heat and then ran 7.22 seconds in her semi-final, which was won by defending champion Kim Gevaert.

Britain's Jeanette Kwakye won her semi-final in a personal best 7.17.

But fellow Britons Joice Maduaka and Montell Douglas were both eliminated at the semi-final stage.

There were some impressive displays from Britain's Marilyn Okoro and Jenny Meadows in the 800m with both reaching the final.

Okoro ran a personal best time of 1:59.87, with Meadows not far behind on 2:00.79.

But there was heartbreak for Helen Clitheroe in the 1500m final as she finished fourth for the second Championships in a row.

"I'm absolutely gutted," she told BBC Sport.

"I really thought I could get a medal, but it seems the curse of fourth place is on me again which is very depressing."

Britain's Kate Dennison set a new personal best of 4.40m in the pole vault but missed out on qualification for Sunday's final.

The competition was notable for Spain's Naroa Agirre narrowly avoiding serious injury when her pole snapped in half when she was in mid-air.

Belgium's Tia Hellebaut took a superb gold in the high jump, finishing well clear of the opposition thanks to a leap of 2.05m, while Portugal's Naide Gomes won the long jump.