NICOLA Sanders admits she is not up to Olympic speed just yet - but believes just being out on the track ensures she is ahead of schedule in 2012.

The 29-year-old made her second outdoor appearance of the season last weekend at the Great City Games in Manchester ending up fourth in the rarely raced straight 200 metres (m).

Sanders was part of the 4x400m relay squad that clinched gold at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul in March and appears to have finally put her injury troubles behind her following years of setbacks ever since winning world silver in Osaka in 2007.

Not since 2009 has Sanders clocked a time quicker than the London 2012 qualifying A standard, however, and with Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu coming into form and the likes of Lee McConnell and Shana Cox also in contention, she has work to do to reach this summer's Games.

And while the clock is ticking until the Aviva Trials 2012 in Birmingham next month, Sanders is keeping her cool insisting she is used to having to time her run a lot later than this.

"It's hard to tell exactly where my Olympics preparations are because I haven't really raced much," she said.

"It's just the competitions I need really so for the next two weeks I've got three more 400m where hopefully I can secure the qualifying time and I can be a lot more relaxed.

"The training's going really well, it's just hard when the weather's not great when I'm doing training sessions and I'm not where I want to be. Until you do a race you can't really know exactly where you are.

"It's hard in the run up to the Olympics because I'm always being asked if I've qualified and obviously I haven't got the qualifying time yet.

"All the other sports are announcing teams every day but I won't know until the end of June or the beginning of July.

"Normally I'm injured at this time of year so it's a real bonus to be able to take part in events like the one in Manchester."

The 400m is just one of a host of events at the trials at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium where competition for the three British Olympic places in each event will be fierce.

But that's just the way UKA head coach Charles Van Commenee, who is targeting eight track and field medals at London 2012, likes it.

"I'm looking forward to the Aviva 2012 Trials," said van Commenee. "There is a depth in the sport that we've not seen for 20 years and we've a number of events where five or six athletes are competing for three places.

"It doesn't take a genius to work out the maths and athletes will need to be at the very top of their game at the Olympic Trials if they want to make the team for London 2012."

Back the team and watch over 750 British best athletes at the Aviva 2012 Trials in Birmingham from 22-24 June. For tickets visit www.uka.org.uk/aviva-series or call 08000 55 60 56. #backtheteam ** See Friday's Observer for an Olympic count down special ** ** Follow the Observer on Twitter @Observer_sports **