The 1961 USA–USSR Track and Field Dual Meet was an international track and field competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. The third in a series of meetings between the nations, it was held on July 15–16 in Lenin Stadium, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and finished with Soviet Union beating the United States 179 to 163. A total of 33 events were contested, 22 by men and 10 by women.
A total of five world records were broken at the competition – the most of any meeting in the series. Home athletes Valeriy Brumel, Tatyana Shchelkanova and Tamara Press set records in field events, while Ralph Boston and the American women's 4 × 100 meters relay team set world standards for the visitors.
World records DateAthleteNationSexEventRecord 1961-07-15 Hayes JonesFrank BuddCharles FrazierPaul Drayton Men 4 × 100 m relay 39.1 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
Results Team score TeamMenWomenTotal 111 68 179 124 39 163
Men Event Result Athlete Nation100 m 10.3 Frank Budd 200 m 20.8 Frank Budd 400 m 46.7 Ulis Williams 800 m 1:46.8 Jerry Siebert 1500 m 3:43.8 Jim Beatty 5000 m 13:58.4 Pyotr Bolotnikov 10,000 m 31:40.6 Yury Zakharov 4 × 100 m relay 39.1 4 × 400 m relay 3:08.8 110 m hurdles 13.8 Hayes Jones 400 m hurdles 50.5 Clifton Cushman 3000 m steeplechase 8:35.4 Nikolay Sokolov 20 km walk 1:38:11.2 Gennadiy Solodov High jump 2.24 m Valeriy Brumel Pole vault 4.69 m John Uelses Long jump 8.28 m Ralph Boston Triple jump 16.68 m Vitold Kreyer Shot put 18.48 m Gary Gubner Discus throw 58.46 m Jay Silvester Hammer throw 66.34 m Vasily Rudenkov Javelin throw 83.12 m Viktor Tsybulenko Decathlon 7615 pts Yuriy Kutenko
Women Event Result Athlete Nation100 m 11.3 Wilma Rudolph 200 m 23.4 Maria Itkina 800 m 2:05.4 Lyudmila Lysenko 4 × 100 m relay 44.3 Willye WhiteErnestine PollardsVivian BrownWilma Rudolph 80 m hurdles 10.6 Irina Press High jump 1.70 m Taisia Chenchik Long jump 6.48 m Tatyana Shchelkanova Shot put 17.25 m Tamara Press Discus throw 57.43 m Tamara Press Javelin throw 54.79 m Elvīra Ozoliņa
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 Sport History, Vol. 28, No. 3 (Fall 2001), pp. 427–471. Retrieved 2019-07-16. The Cold War Track Series 1958-1965. Racing Past. Retrieved 2019-07-16. Лёгкая атлетика. Справочник / Составитель Р. В. Орлов. — М.: «Физкультура и спорт», 1983. — С. 155–178, 385. Матчи СССР — США // Лёгкая атлетика. Энциклопедия / Авторы-составители В. Б. Зеличёнок, В. Н. Спичков, В. Л. Штейнбах. — М.: «Человек», 2012. — Т. 1. — С. 623. — .