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.Turrini, p. 1–2

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. 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.

The meet was held annually from 1958 to 1965 save for 1960. An eighth edition of the meet was originally scheduled to take place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on 23-24 July 1966, but the Soviets pulled out before the competition. Following that, it did not resume until 1969.

The 1971 edition was also called the U.S.-Russia-World All-Stars Meet.

Editions YearDateLocationVenueWinnerTotalMenWomen 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 YearDateLocationVenueWinnerTotalMenWomen 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 YearAthleteNationSexEventRecord 1958 Oleg Ryakhovskiy Men Triple jump 16.59 m 1958 Rafer Johnson Men Decathlon 8302 pts 1961 Valeriy Brumel Men High jump 2.24 m 1961 Ralph Boston Men Long jump 8.28 m 1961 Willye WhiteErnestine PollardsVivian BrownWilma Rudolph Women 4 × 100 m relay 44.3 1961 Tatyana Shchelkanova Women Long jump 6.48 m 1961 Tamara Press Women Discus throw 57.43 m 1962 Valeriy Brumel Men High jump 2.26 m 1962 Hal Connolly Men Hammer throw 70.67 m 1963 Valeriy Brumel Men High jump 2.28 m 1964 Fred Hansen Men Pole vault 5.28 m 1964 Dallas Long Men Shot put 20.67 m 1965 Wyomia Tyus Women 100 m 11.1 1974 Lyudmila Bragina Women 3000 m 8:52.74 1976 Lyudmila Bragina Women 3000 m 8:27.12

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

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