The Moscow Games
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Alexander, 11, in Tallinn during the Moscow Games.
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1500 METER RACE, OLIMPIYSKY POOL, MOSCOW, USSR, 22 JULY 1980
An eery silence bounces off the water at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex. Seaman Sergei Nikitin sits next to his 11 year old son Alexander high up in the bleachers. Vladimir Salnikov, 20, steps onto the starting block, leans into position and explodes forward as the shot is fired. Alexander's breath stops, his eyes widen up and his hand squeezes his father's as his hero resurfaces and begins his 30 lengths race.
Attached to the same fleet as the Leningrad champion's father, a Sea Captain, Sergei was able to obtain a pair of complementary tickets for the sold out event. For Sergei, this is a major honor. For his son Alexander, this is It. He has been cheering for Salnikov ever since the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games when the then 16 year swimmer finished 5th then broke a series of records before he get the opportunity to compete again at the Olympics.
Salnikov is in line with a fellow countryman and an Australian swimmer. 5 other competitors lag behind at various positions. The Omega Swim-O-Matic board indicates 04:59:46 as the head trio bounce off the finish wall for a 10th time. The rhythm is steady and on schedule to hit the targeted 15 minute mark. The 7500 spectators hold their breath in unison.
By the doors, even the heavy armed guards are distracted from their duty as they peek into the pool to follow the race. All of Moscow Olympic facilities are guarded by Red Army soldiers who have been called in to reinforce the Moscow Police contingent which is stretched at its limits. Two weeks before the opening of the Games, which are boycotted by most western Olympic teams, the KGB received intelligence from their Makhachkala field office that pro-mujahedin trans-Caucasian Muslim insurgents might try to disrupt the event.
10:04:07 freezes on the electronic board as Salnikov hits the contact pad for the 20th time. He is slightly ahead of his two closest competitors tailing less than a second behind, but not on time to beat his 1978 West Berlin record and for sure not in time to beat the world record which is even a second faster. Alexander knows this and clings to his father's hand even harder.
At every return length, Salnikov who breath out on the left side, tries to make sense of the 6 digits that scramble on the time board in the pool's corner. Only the second set is important. 05... 06... 07... 08... He's not going to make it. His own record, he doesn't care, the world record maybe but the 15 minute mark for sure. Not for him. For Oleg his best friend from the Leningrad Armed Forces Sports Society (The Red Army Swimming Team) who just came back from war, leaving his legs behind. Ever since they started training. The two best friends had vowed that if they didn't break the 15" record at the Moscow Olympics, they'd stop competing. Oleg did not make the 1980 team. He was sent to Afghanistan instead.
22nd length. Vladimir Salnikov propels his body with such force that he emerges now leading 3 good seconds from the next swimmer. Alexander closes his eyes and imagines entering his idol's mind. He also is a great swimmer. The best of his school. One day, he wants to compete at the Olympics just like to make his father proud, to make the whole the Soviet Union proud.
Less than 3 lengths to go. The crowd starts cheering Salnikov loses his competitors behind the waves.