Former Bulldog Shaunae Miller Dives For Gold

ATHENS, GA — Former UGA track and field champion Shaunae Miller gave the Summer Olympics one of its most dramatic finishes Monday, throwing herself across the finish line to narrowly win gold in the women's 400-meter dash.

Miller, racing for her native Bahamas, flung herself to the finish to hold off Team USA's Allyson Felix by .07 seconds. Felix had finished just ahead of Miller in the semifinal round on Sunday.

Miller finished her lap around the track in a personal best time of 49.44 seconds. Exhausted, she laid on the track, breathing heavily, as judges sorted out the photo finish and she was declared the winner.

Miller's was the first medal for a University of Georgia track and field athlete at this year's Games and the 13th in history.

It was the first medal for the Bulldogs since Hyleas Fountain won the silver medal in the heptathlon in 2008 and the first gold for UGA since five-time Olympian Debbie Ferguson won gold in the 4x100 relay in 2000.

Miller won the 2014 NCAA indoor title in the 400 and was second at the national outdoor meet that year.

The came to Rio with two of the world's top thee 400 meters times this year.

This is Miller's second trip to the Summer Games. In 2012, when she was still in high school, she failed to make it out of the qualifying round.

Photo of Shaunae Miller in 2013 courtesy University of Georgia Athletic Department