‘Duel We Missed’ Captures Best Feature Film Award at Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival
As the year nears its end, “The Duel We Missed” has picked up a major film award. The documentary, which highlights the missed opportunity for a 1500-meter freestyle showdown between American Brian Goodell and the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Salnikov at the 1980 Olympic Games, was recently honored as the Best Feature Film at the 45th Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival in Palermo, Sicily.
Produced by Ilnur Rafikov and Edward Staroselsky, “The Duel We Missed” takes an in-depth look at the careers and Goodell and Salnikov, two of the greatest distance swimmers in history. While Goodell won gold in the 400-meter freestyle and 1500 freestyle at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, he was denied the chance to defend those crowns at the 1980 Olympics, due to the United States’ boycott of the Moscow Games.
As for Salnikov, he won gold in the 1500 freestyle at the 1980 Olympics and captured the gold medal in the event at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. However, the Soviet Union’s boycott of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles denied him the chance to add another title. Salnikov was the first man to crack the 15-minute barrier in the 1500 freestyle, a feat Goodell was also chasing, until the U.S. boycott of 1980 short-circuited that pursuit.
A meeting between Goodell and Salnikov in the 1500 freestyle was deeply desired for the 1980 Olympics, but politics ended any hope of that clash. “The Duel We Missed” examined the storyline, and the chase for a sub-15:00 performance in the 1500 freestyle. The film featured past and present interviews with Goodell and Salnikov, and included tremendous competition footage from the era.
“The Duel We Missed” is under consideration by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a potential Oscar nomination in the documentary category. At the Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival, it was also nominated for Best Olympic Film, Best Documentary and Best Leading Role.