Luckily, there has never been a naval or river conflict between Russians and Americans. However, the same cannot be true for the lanes of sporting pools — swimmers from the United States and Russia (USSR) have been strong competitors for decades in the hunt for Olympic and world championship gold medals. Watch the documentary The Duel We Missed, which was made by the American studio Bravo Film and Video, Inc., to witness this for yourself. Swimming Info reported about the film's auspicious debut.
The film is about the friendly competition between two great swimmers: Vladimir Salnikov from the Soviet Union and Brian Goodell from the United States. In the 1970s and 1980s, they were the main people setting trends in water sports. Let's look back at what they did:
In 1977, Salnikov won the European Championships for the first time and was the world's best long-distance swimmer for many years. In 1978, he set a world record at the world championships. In the 1980 Olympics, Vladimir competed in the 400 and 1500 metre events, and he was the first to run the 1500 metre in under 15 minutes. By the time he retired, Salnikov had won the Olympic gold medal four times, the world championship four times, the European championship five times, and he also broke 20 world records. Brian Goodell, from California, was the star of the 1976 Games in Montreal. He also set several world records, which helped Brian win two Olympic gold medals.
It looked like the world of sport was going to see an exciting competition between two brilliant swimmers. But, unfortunately... First, the United States (and the whole Western world) said they would not take part in the Moscow Olympics, and four years later, the socialist countries did the same with the Olympic Games in America. Even now, no one knows who benefited from this. But we know for sure who was completely let down: the athletes, the fans, and the international sports movement. Brian and Salnikov also lost out, as they did not get to swim in neighbouring lanes.
It looked like the world of sport was going to see an exciting competition between two very good swimmers. But, unfortunately... First, the United States said it would not take part in the Moscow Olympics, and four years later, the socialist countries did the same with the Olympic Games in America. Even now, no one knows who benefited from this. But we know for sure who was completely let down: the athletes, the fans, and the international sports movement. Brian and Salnikov also lost out, as they did not get to swim in neighbouring lanes.
Instead, the 'duel' between the Soviet and American athletes was more about trying to beat the other in certain races, rather than trying to beat the whole competition. It was more than just a competition between two great athletes; it was a fight between two very different worlds: capitalism and socialism. It's like the 1972 hockey Super Series or the 1978 chess match for the world crown between Karpov and Korchnoi.
Films have been made for a long time about the famous chess match in the Philippines and the 1972 Super Series. And now we finally have a creative way to show the battle on the water. The Duel We Missed is the story of two great athletes, brought to life on screen very skillfully. The film is full of stories about the challenges people face when trying to succeed. The viewer sees how politics stops the athletes from achieving their Olympic dreams. But hard work, patience, strong character, and faith in themselves and their country help the talented swimmers become the best in the world. The most important thing is that, despite the unexpected events, the main characters are still friendly and respectful towards each other, both in and out of the pool.
The first performance of 'Duel...' was last summer during the Paris Olympics. There is now a lot of talk about the problems at the 33rd Games (for example, transgender men being allowed to compete against women, poor nutrition for athletes, dirty water in the Seine, etc.). But it should be said that there were also some good times in Paris. One of these was the showing of 'Duel...' at a film festival organised by the World Olympians Association. In the French capital, the film received the highest rating in two categories: It won the Best Feature Documentary and Special Jury Prize.
The film was such a big success that people were wondering if it could be nominated for the world's most important film award, the Oscar. There is a good reason to promote it: the film is not just about the careers of two swimming legends – it brings back the epic sporting battle of the Cold War period and shows the atmosphere of that difficult era, getting us involved in it. It should also be noted that it appeared at just the right time. Recently, fans from all over the world have seen something very unfair. People in charge of international sports are stopping Belarusian and Russian athletes from taking part in competitions. Even Paralympians have been targeted by this punitive system! After watching the American documentary, anyone who watches it will think the same thing: we need to stop politicians interfering in big-time sport right away!
