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USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet Series

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Action from the 1975 USA–USSR meet

USA–USSR Dual Track Meet Series was a track and field meeting between United States and Soviet Union. It was held 19 times during the Cold War era from 1958 to 1985. The meeting was arranged alternatively in both countries, exception being the last event in 1985 which was held in Tokyo, Japan. Seven indoor meetings were also competed in the 1970s. Although the meetings were foremost athletic competitions, they served as propaganda and foreign diplomacy tools as well.[1]

The most classic meeting is considered the 1962 competition in Stanford, California, with an attendance of more than 150,000 on a two-day event, the largest ever on a non-Olympic track and field competition. Even the Soviet workouts attracted crowds of 5,000.[2] Two world records were set in Stanford, Valeriy Brumel on high jump and Hal Connolly on hammer throw. Though the Stanford meeting was held just two months before the Cuban Missile Crisis, the athletes exhibited mutual friendship, with both Russian and American athletes congratulating Brumel on his feat and both nations' athletes completing a lap of honour at the end of competition.[3]

Editions

[edit]
Year Date Location Venue Winner Total Men Women
1958 27–28 July Moscow Lenin Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 172 – 170 United States 126 – 109 Soviet Union 63 – 44
1959 18–19 July Philadelphia Franklin Field Soviet Union Soviet Union 175 – 167 United States 127 – 108 Soviet Union 67 – 40
1961 15–16 July Moscow Lenin Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 179 – 160 United States 124 – 111 Soviet Union 68 – 36
1962 21–22 July Stanford Stanford Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 173 – 169 United States 128 – 107 Soviet Union 66 – 41
1963 20–21 July Moscow Lenin Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 189 – 147 United States 119 – 114 Soviet Union 75 – 28
1964 25–26 July Los Angeles Los Angeles Coliseum United States United States 187 – 156 United States 139 – 97 Soviet Union 59 – 48
1965 31 July–1 August Kiev Central Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 181.5 – 155.5 Soviet Union 118 – 112 Soviet Union 63.5 – 43.5
1969 18–19 July Los Angeles Los Angeles Coliseum United States United States 195 – 178 United States 125 – 111 United States 70 – 67
1970 23–24 July Leningrad Lenin Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 200 – 173 Soviet Union 122 – 114 Soviet Union 78 – 59
1971 2–3 July Berkeley Edwards Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union
United States United States
186 – 186 United States 126 – 110 Soviet Union 76 – 60
1973 23–24 July Minsk Republic Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 216 – 163 Soviet Union 121 – 112 Soviet Union 95 – 51
1974 5–6 July Durham Wallace Wade Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 192 – 184 United States 117 – 102 Soviet Union 90 – 67
1975 4–5 July Kiev Central Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 225 – 138 Soviet Union 129 – 89 Soviet Union 96 – 49
1976 6–7 August College Park Byrd Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 211 – 157 United States 115 – 107 Soviet Union 104 – 42
1977 1–2 July Sochi Central Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 207 – 171 Soviet Union 118 – 105 Soviet Union 89 – 66
1978 7–8 July Berkeley Edwards Stadium United States United States 190 – 177 United States 119 – 102 Soviet Union 75 – 71
1981 11–12 July Leningrad Lenin Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 204 – 178 United States 118 – 105 Soviet Union 99 – 60
1982 2–3 July Indianapolis Indiana University Soviet Union Soviet Union 207 – 167 Soviet Union 118 – 100 Soviet Union 89 – 67
1985 21–22 September Tokyo National Olympic Stadium Soviet Union Soviet Union 221 – 164 United States 114 – 104 Soviet Union 117 – 50

Indoor meetings

[edit]
Year Date Location Venue Winner Total Men Women
1972 17 March Richmond Richmond Coliseum United States United States 131 – 112 United States 79 – 69 United States 54 – 43
1973 16 March Richmond Richmond Coliseum Soviet Union Soviet Union 146 – 141 Soviet Union 84 – 76 United States 65 – 62
1974 2 March Moscow Brothers Znamensky Olympic Centre Soviet Union Soviet Union 163 – 126 Soviet Union 89 – 72 Soviet Union 74 – 65
1975 3 March Richmond Richmond Coliseum United States United States 171 – 106 Soviet Union 98 – 62 United States 73 – 44
1976 6 March Leningrad Zimniy Stadion Soviet Union Soviet Union 171 – 117 Soviet Union 96 – 64 Soviet Union 75 – 53
1977 3–4 March Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens United States United States 159 – 120 United States 90 – 69 United States 69 – 51
1979 3 March Fort Worth Tarrant County Convention Center United States United States 121 – 118 United States 75 – 66 Soviet Union 52 – 46

World records

[edit]
Year Athlete Nation Sex Event Record
1958 Oleg Ryakhovskiy  Soviet Union Men Triple jump 16.59 m
1958 Rafer Johnson  United States Men Decathlon 8302 pts
1961 Valeriy Brumel  Soviet Union Men High jump 2.24 m
1961 Ralph Boston  United States Men Long jump 8.28 m
1961 Willye White
Ernestine Pollards
Vivian Brown
Wilma Rudolph
 United States Women 4 × 100 m relay 44.3
1961 Tatyana Shchelkanova  Soviet Union Women Long jump 6.48 m
1961 Tamara Press  Soviet Union Women Discus throw 57.43 m
1962 Valeriy Brumel  Soviet Union Men High jump 2.26 m
1962 Hal Connolly  United States Men Hammer throw 70.67 m
1963 Valeriy Brumel  Soviet Union Men High jump 2.28 m
1964 Fred Hansen  United States Men Pole vault 5.28 m
1964 Dallas Long  United States Men Shot put 20.67 m
1965 Wyomia Tyus  United States Women 100 m 11.1
1974 Lyudmila Bragina  Soviet Union Women 3000 m 8:52.74
1976 Lyudmila Bragina  Soviet Union Women 3000 m 8:27.12

Multiple winners

[edit]
Athlete Nation Wins Years Event Sex
Volodymyr Holubnychy  Soviet Union 6 1959, 1962, 1964, 1969–1970, 1976 20 km race walk Men
Viktor Saneyev  Soviet Union 6 1969, 1971, 1973-1976 Triple jump Men
Taisia Chenchik  Soviet Union 6 1958–1959, 1962–1963, 1965 High jump Women
Tamara Press  Soviet Union 6 1959, 1961-1965 Shot put and discus throw Women
Nadezhda Chizhova  Soviet Union 6 1969–1971, 1973–1974, 1976 Shot put Women
Faina Melnik  Soviet Union 6 1971, 1973–1974, 1976-1978 Discus throw Women
Lyudmila Bragina  Soviet Union 5 1969–1970, 1973, 1974, 1976 1500 m and 3000 m Women
Valeriy Brumel  Soviet Union 5 1961-1965 High jump Men
Jānis Lūsis  Soviet Union 5 1962–1965, 1969 Javelin throw Men
Ralph Boston  United States 4 1961–1963, 1965 Long jump Men
Tatyana Shchelkanova  Soviet Union 4 1961–1963, 1965 Long jump Women
Irina Press  Soviet Union 4 1961–1963, 1965 80 m hurdles Women
Elvīra Ozoliņa  Soviet Union 4 1961–1963, 1973 Javelin throw Women

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Turrini, p. 1–2
  2. ^ "Track and field's greatest dual meet is turning 50". Palo Alto Online. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. ^ "USA vs. USSR, 1962: The Greatest Track Meet of All Time". Bleacher's Report. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2014.