Sanderson, Tessa (1956– )

English sportswoman and television presenter. Having first thrown the javelin for Great Britain in 1974, she kept the country at the top of the event throughout her competitive career, along with her great rival Fatima Whitbread. Though later dogged by injury, she won three Commonwealth gold medals (1978, 1986, and 1990), and one Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles games in 1984. In 1989 she became a sports newsreader for Sky TV.

Sanderson was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Her autobiography My Life in Athletics was published in 1985.