Dixon Propels Team USA into Olympic 4x400-Meter Final

Aug. 10, 2012

Results |

LONDON – Kansas junior-to-be Diamond Dixon ran the third leg for Team USA in the semifinals of the 4×400-meter relay Friday evening inside the Olympic Stadium. The American quartet passed the baton around in 3:22.09 to notch the fastest time among the eight finals qualifiers. The U.S. team will now run in the event final which is slated for Saturday at 2:25 p.m. (CT).

Dixon, who hails from Houston, Texas earned a spot on the relay after finishing fifth in the 400 meters at the U.S. Team Trials in Eugene, Ore., in late June with a personal best and school record time of 50.88.

On Friday, the 20-year-old ran the third leg of the semifinal race, trying to punch her team’s ticket into the event final. Keshia Baker and Francena McCrory opened the race for the Americans, handing off the baton to Dixon in a close second place to the team representing Russia.

Dixon trailed the Russian runner for the majority of her leg but used her signature closing kick to overtake the leader and put her team in first with just 400 meters to go. She handed off to teammate DeeDee Trotter, who anchored the Americans home in 3:22.09, winning the heat and earning the automatic qualification to the 4×400-meter final.

Unofficial split times had Dixon running the second-fastest of her four teammates at a blazing 50.15, with only Trotter clocking in faster at 50.12.

It will not be decided until later this evening or early tomorrow which four runners in the six-person relay pool will run in the final tomorrow. Two of the runners who ran in the semifinal today will likely be replaced by two alternates, which will be decided by the event coach at some point before the final race Saturday. Stay tuned to kuathletics.com and on twitter at KU_Track for updates on Dixon’s status for the final.

Even if Dixon is not selected to run in the Saturday final, she will still receive a medal if Team USA is to finish in the top three of the race.