He first represented New Zealand at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich , finishing third in the 1500 metres. At the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch he finished fourth in the 1500 metres. His time of 3:33.89 (officially 3:33.9) was the fifth fastest ever at the time and remained Dixon's lifetime best for the distance. He then moved up to the 5000 metres and was ranked first in the world for the event in 1975 by Track & Field News magazine.
