Wikipedia

USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet Series

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]

Action from the 1975 USA–USSR meet

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

Indoor meetings edit

Year Date Location Venue Winner Total Men Women
1972 17 March Richmond Richmond Coliseum   United States 131 – 112   79 – 69   54 – 43
1973 16 March Richmond Richmond Coliseum   Soviet Union 146 – 141   84 – 76   65 – 62
1974 2 March Moscow Brothers Znamensky Olympic Centre   Soviet Union 163 – 126   89 – 72   74 – 65
1975 3 March Richmond Richmond Coliseum   United States 171 – 106   98 – 62   73 – 44
1976 6 March Leningrad Zimniy Stadion   Soviet Union 171 – 117   96 – 64   75 – 53
1977 3–4 March Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens   United States 159 – 120   90 – 69   69 – 51
1979 3 March Fort Worth Tarrant County Convention Center   United States 121 – 118   75 – 66   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.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USA–USSR_Track_and_Field_Dual_Meet_Series&oldid=1052742584"