KU’s Diamond Dixon wins gold medal at Olympic Games as part of 4 x 400 relay team

Foursome of Felix, Richards-Ross, Trotter, McCorory prevail on Saturday; Jayhawk ran in semis Friday

Kansas University sprinter Diamond Dixon is bringing home a gold medal from the 2012 London Olympic Games as a member of the victorious United States 4 x 400 relay team.

The Jayhawk junior from Houston did not run in Saturday’s finals, a race in which the U.S. team of Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards-Ross, DeeDee Trotter and Francena McCorory won in 3 minutes, 16.87 seconds.

She ran in Friday’s semifinals, however, qualifying her for any medal the U.S. won in the event.

Felix won her third gold medal of the London Olympics, giving the United States a 20-meter lead after the second leg of the 4×400 and then watched teammate Richards-Ross bring home the victory.

Russia finished second in 3:20.23 and Jamaica was third in 3:20.95.

Trotter ran the opening leg for the United States and built a lead before handing to Felix, who more than doubled the advantage by the time she passed to Francena McCorory. Richards-Ross had a stress-free anchor leg to add this gold medal to her 400-meter gold. Felix earlier won the 200 and 4×100 relay.

Dixon, 20, ran the third leg of the semifinal, with Keshia Baker, McCorory and Trotter.

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.

Dixon 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.