USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet Series explained

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

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

Indoor meetings

Year	Date	Winner	Total	Men	Women
1972	17 March	United States	131 – 112	79 – 69	54 – 43
1973	16 March	Soviet Union	146 – 141	84 – 76	65 – 62
1974	2 March	Soviet Union	163 – 126	89 – 72	74 – 65
1975	3 March	United States	171 – 106	98 – 62	73 – 44
1976	6 March	Soviet Union	171 – 117	96 – 64	75 – 53
1977	3–4 March	United States	159 – 120	90 – 69	69 – 51
1979	3 March	United States	121 – 118	75 – 66	52 – 46

World records

Year	Athlete	Sex	Event	Record
1958		Men	Triple jump	16.59 m
1958		Men	Decathlon	8302 pts
1961		Men	High jump	2.24 m
1961		Men	Long jump	8.28 m
1961		Women	4 × 100 m relay	44.3
1961		Women	Long jump	6.48 m
1961	Tamara Press	Women	Discus throw	57.43 m
1962		Men	High jump	2.26 m
1962		Men	Hammer throw	70.67 m
1963		Men	High jump	2.28 m
1964		Men	Pole vault	5.28 m
1964		Men	Shot put	20.67 m
1965		Women	100 m	11.1
1974		Women	3000 m	8:52.74
1976		Women	3000 m	8:27.12

Multiple winners

Wins	Years	Event	Sex
6	1959, 1962, 1964, 1969–1970, 1976	20 km race walk	Men
6	1969, 1971, 1973-1976	Triple jump	Men
6	1958–1959, 1962–1963, 1965	High jump	Women
6	1959, 1961-1965	Shot put and discus throw	Women
6	1969–1971, 1973–1974, 1976	Shot put	Women
6	1971, 1973–1974, 1976-1978	Discus throw	Women
5	1969–1970, 1973, 1974, 1976	1500 m and 3000 m	Women
5	1961-1965	High jump	Men
5	1962–1965, 1969	Javelin throw	Men
4	1961–1963, 1965	Long jump	Men
4	1961–1963, 1965	Long jump	Women
4	1961–1963, 1965	80 m hurdles	Women
4	1961–1963, 1973	Javelin throw	Women

References

Turrini, Joseph M.: "“It Was Communism Versus the Free World”: The USA-USSR Dual Track Meet Series and the Development of Track and Field in the United states, 1958–1985" Journal of Sports History. Volume 28, Number 3, 2001.

Notes and References

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