Great Britain's 4x400 metres women's relay team posted a national record to land a second consecutive World Championship bronze medal in Osaka.

Christine Ohuruogu, Marilyn Okoro, Lee McConnell and Nicola Sanders clocked three minutes 20.04 seconds to finish third behind the USA and Jamaica.

The American quartet clocked 3:18.55 while Jamaica set a national record of 3:19.73 to land silver.

Great Britain posted the fourth fastest time in the heats, but as expected individual 400m gold medallist Ohuruogu came into the team at the expense of Donna Fraser.

Ohuruogu led off with a strong opening leg to hand Okoro a narrow lead, but 200m winner Allyson Felix powered through the second leg to open up a comfortable cushion as Great Britain slipped down to fourth.

Great Britain remained fourth with McConnell running a strong third leg and their chances of a medal looked slim until individual silver medallist Sanders powered off the final bend to edge out Russia.

"Marilyn and Lee hung on to it fantastically to put me in reach of a medal and I just had to do what I had to do," said Sanders, who was a doubt for the trip to the Japan after her season had been disrupted by an Achilles tendon problem.

"I didn't think it was all lost then I took over, but I knew it was going to be tough.

"Down the back straight I was just hoping to not let them get away too much and when I started to wind it up around the top bend I felt pretty confident I was going to get at least one of the medals

"The other two in front of me ran pretty fast, but I just waited. I had beaten the Russian girl in the 400 metres final, so I knew I could catch her again and it worked.

"I was glad I was in touch with her because they went off pretty hard which I am not quite 100% confident of doing, I would prefer to sit in behind them.

"They had a few metres on me, but as I started to come around the bend I started to wind it up and I felt strong again and I just moved out wide and went for the line and felt really strong as she was fading."

Ohuruogu added: "We were confident and we had belief and we showed that by taking a huge chunk out of the national record."

Great Britain's time wiped nearly two seconds off the previous national record of 3mins 22.01secs set by Lorraine Hanson, Phylis Smith and Sally Gunnell and Linda Keough at the World Championships in Tokyo 16 years ago.

The time was also over four seconds faster than the 3mins 24.44secs which earned McConnell, Fraser, Sanders and Ohuruogu bronze in Helsinki two years ago.

"It's the quickest relay I have been involved in," said McConnell.

"I have run a 49.9 before so a 49.8 is the quickest leg I have run.

"It was hard, I got caught up on the top bend then they kicked down the home straight.

"It's not the way I liked to run it, but three minutes 20 is a fantastic national record."