Men's 1500m Freestyle - 1976 Montreal Olympics - Brian Goodell Breaks World Record

Gold Medal - USA Brian Goodell 15:02.40
Silver Medal - USA Bobby Hackett 15:03.91
Bronze Medal - AUS Stephan Holland 15:04.66
One of the greatest distance races of all time. All three medalists finished under the existing world record, which Goodell had set at the U.S. Trials a month prior.
All three also split under Bobby Hackett's existing world record in the 800m freestyle (8:01.54) on the last 800 meters of the race. In fact, Goodell's final 800 of 7:56.9 was the first time a swimmer had broken the eight-minute-barrier over that distance (though it didn't count as a world record because it was swum at the end of the race).
All three medalists were also teenagers - Holland was 18, Goodell was 17, and Hackett was 16-years-old. Actually, as of March 2021, Hackett's 15:03.91 is the United States National Age Group Record for 15-16 year-olds, despite that he swum the race without a technical suit or goggles.
Stephan Holland, although he only finished with the bronze, still should be considered one of the greatest distance swimmers ever. He is the youngest male ever to break an individual swimming world record (at 15 years and 2 months) from when, in 1973, he broke the 1500 world record by over fourteen seconds. He was also the first swimmer to break 15:50, 15:40, 15:30, and 15:20 in the 1500 freestyle.
Bobby Hackett, who was born and trained in Yonkers, New York, was a gritty young distance swimmer. At a time when a huge majority of elite American swimmers trained in California, Hackett emerged as a dominant force from the east coast. He was famous for training with long, grueling sets, including the infamous 100x100s on a 1:00 interval. Hackett set the world record in the 800 freestyle at the 1976 US Trials with his initial split in the 1500m race.
Brian Goodell, who swam with the Mission Viejo Nadadores in California, was one of the masters of mental training. Over the years of training that led up to this race, Brian would visualize during practice. He would imagine overtaking swimmers in the Olympic final one by one, picture touching the wall in first place, envision standing on top of the victory podium. So when he actually found himself in the Olympic final - in third place, feeling exhausted and in so much pain from racing, losing his focus - he was able to revert to his mental training. He had pictured himself finishing first too many times to settle for third. Goodell roared back on Holland and Hackett to take gold. His last 400 meters were so fast that he would've won that event at the 1972 Olympics by over 3.5 seconds.

[@joegee7238]

The last six laps was amazing- the greatest 1500m race ever!

[@NorthFletcherMike]

I had been a NYC swimmer my whole life. While I reached my peak around age 10, I continued to swim for Flushing Y in Queens and Fordham Prep in the Bronx. Must have been my senior year at Fordham, 1973-74, Bobby shows up. Big, tall freshman, but just looking like any other big kid. Then practice starts. He swam like nobody I had ever seen. Doing 50 second 100's in practice. He kicked like no swimmer I had ever even imagined could. He was a swimming machine! From start to finish, he swam, he swam fast, I mean, he swam really fast, every lap. And maybe that's it, he wasn't swimming like the rest of us, he seemed like an actual power boat. We swam, he powered through the water. Relentlessly. What was he, 14? Holly schmolly, man alive! What a joy to have witnessed him up close.

[@AHC63]

How much fun that must have been - to swim and train with an Olympian!!

[@chrisverby3047]

Did you swim for Frank Ranhoffer?

[@greggassen5548]

Who's here after Bobby Finke' 14:30.67?

[@Gregsmith1]

From 1972-1976, the world record in this event dropped about 50 seconds. Today, 44 years later, the record has dropped 31 seconds from Goodell's performance in Montreal. Goodell, Hackett, and Holland should be revered for taking distance swimming to the next level. This race represented no less than the culmination of a paradigm shift in distance swimming. Ironically, if Hackett would've pushed the pace more, the 15 minute barrier probably would've been eclipsed on that day. Imagine what they could've done in this era of improved technique, advanced swimsuit technology, and modern strength training and nutrition. Special Note: Although he scored what was considered a disappointing bronze, Steve Holland was largely responsible for the massive time drop from 1972-1976. He is the swimmer who knocked a full 15 seconds off of 1972 Olympic champion Mike Burton's mark. From there, the Americans---Tim Shaw, Brian Goodell, & Bobby Hackett---chased Holland. From 1973-1976, Steve Holland broke the 1500 meter freestyle record 4 times, starting at 15:37 and then taking it all the way down to 15:10. During that time, Tim Shaw broke the record twice, with Holland taking it back both times. Prior to the 1976 Olympics, Brian Goodell broke the world record once, taking it from Holland during the U.S Olympic trials slightly less than a month before this race.

[@distanceswimmer]

Yeah, Hackett swam a very strategic race, which probably cost all three of them the chance at the fifteen-minute barrier, but probably also won him the silver over Holland. It was the only 1500 that Hackett ever negative split over his whole career. One statistic really stands out to me when talking about how distance swimming was evolving during that four-year period. At the '76 U.S. Olympic Trials, ELEVEN swimmers went faster than Mike Burton's Olympic gold and WR time from just FOUR years before. ELEVEN different swimmers! Just incredible. (Fun fact, one of those eleven swimmers was the legendary Jesse Vassallo who went 15:31 at just 14-years of age.)

[@Gregsmith1]

@@distanceswimmer I believe both Hackett's 15:03 and Vassallo's 15:31 still stand as American age group records. Indeed, Hackett's strategy was very smart. Neither Goodell nor Hartloff, his American teammates, knew he was going to do that. Goodell and Hackett had superior speed compared to Holland. All they had to do was be in striking distance with a decent tank of fuel left over in the last few hundred meters. Holland's chance was to go out quicker, and hold metronomic 59+s. He was capable of that, as he possessed a highly unusual and advanced aerobic capacity, but it didn't happen.

[@distanceswimmer]

@@Gregsmith1 You're right, they're the two oldest National Age Group records left on the books. Phelps actually got within 8 seconds of breaking Vassallo's record, but even he couldn't break it.

[@Parker528]

@@Gregsmith1 wait? Goodell and Hackett had SUPERIOR speed compared to Stephen Holland? Then how can you state that when its a fact that at least twice, from my recollection of reading old Swimming Worlds from the early to mid 70's that I purchased (i was born in '69), Holland actually broke the 800 free WR record going OUT in his mile, that usually was also a WR when he would break the standing 800 free record going out? I thought that both he and YES Hackett were considered to usually be known more as the so called rabbits in this racing distance, but name one time that Goodell broke the 800 record going out in the mile? Also, internationally speaking in terms of the 200 free- the shortest of the middle distances, Hackett is the only one of those 3 you mention who won a gold medal- as a relay leg in the US winning 800 relay at the '78 Worlds. I would buy into your assessment in this race in particular if you stated that Goodell and Hackett by far displayed the best endurance back half speed. Don't we think of sprints relating to "speed" and long distance relating to "endurance"? I'm just confounded by that conclusion in an otherwise brilliant display of that distance swimming/record breaking history between 72-76.

[@Gregsmith1]

@@Parker528 Goodell's back half in this race was 7:57. He won the 400 in 3:51+. Holland was in the same 400 final. His time was 3:57. Holland was purely an aerobic athlete. He could lock into a pace forever, but didn't have the body strength of Goodell and Hackett to switch to a different sprinting gear, as illustrated in the last 100 meters. His shot was to take it out faster, and hold on. If he would've done that, I believe this race probably would've been decided under the 15:00 mark. Indeed, as you noted, Holland broke the 800 mark a few times in the years leading up to Montreal, but it started in the range of 8:17, and then gradually went down to around 8:02. Hackett broke Holland's 800 record at the 1976 Olympic trials in 8:01. As noted, all Hackett & Goodell had to do was remain close. They had superior speed, and used it correctly in this race.

[@AHC63]

Such a spectacular RACE!!

[@mancebo7]

A race that truly inspired me to follow a career as a swimming coach, 44 years ago. (I started in 1975 - it's my career birthday tomorrow.) In 1987, at the European Champs, got a chance to see one of my pupils swim in the same heat with the great Vladimir Salnikov.

[@distanceswimmer]

Happy career birthday! This race is a huge inspiration to me too, as I continue my own journey in swimming. Who was your pupil?

[@mancebo7]

@@distanceswimmer Thank you for your kind words! My pupil was Artur Costa - Portuguese National Record holder in the 80s and 90s. He achieved a career best of 15.25 Long Course, back then. Are you a swimmer...? Coach...?

[@distanceswimmer]

I’m a swimmer! I’ll start my first semester of college (and college swimming) in the fall. I swim mostly distance races.

[@mancebo7]

@@distanceswimmer Choose your path and follow it with your heart! I wish you all the best.

[@mancebo7]

@Jordan Saldanha Thank you, Jordan, for your kind words! Have a great 2021!

[@TheCopper05]

WOW!!! What a finish!!!! I was only 10 years old when the Olympics were in Montreal. My one regret that I have, is that I wish I was older, so I could remember and appreciate the great swimming from this Era!!! There was Spitz, Nabor, Babashoff, Caulkins, Woodhead, and this race with Brian Goodell!!! These swimmers inspired who we have had during the 80s, 90s, and in the early 2000s, and right now!!!!

[@jonglewongle3438]

Someone in my year at school did verbally note the USA domination of men's swimming with the Montreal Olympics, in the context of the way of things generally with the then just recently completed Montreal Olympics.

[@juddis956]

It's interesting how insane these old distance freestyle records are compared to today's times

[@elainekerslake6865]

I assume you are referring to the fact that a 15 minute 1500m is still very hard to achieve.

[@juddis956]

@@elainekerslake6865 yea, Bobby hackett’s time is still the 15-16 NAG nearly 50 years later

[@chrisverby3047]

I wonder whatever happened to the guy in lane 8.

[@distanceswimmer]

He might've gone on to have a pretty successful career or something like that. ;)

[@Sargebri]

This was a classic race. I remember watching it on television and even though it was 15 minutes I didn't budge. Of course, the expectation was that the 15 minute barrier would be broken that night. However, it wouldn't be until four years later when Vladimir Salnikov, who was in this race, would finally break that barrier.

[@mancebo7]

Steve Holland's start was appalingly slow. I'd never noticed that before in all these years watching the video...!

[@eduardomoreno2165]

Uno de los 1,500 olímpicos, más épicos de todos.

[@ianfroud70]

Last time USA dominated in 1500m , what a race 💯💯

[@Sargebri]

Also the last time a swimmer from the US won a gold in a fully contested Olympics until Bobby Fink won gold in Tokyo. BTW, when Mike O'Brien won gold at the 1984 games he didn't compete against the Soviet Bloc swimmers, including Salnikov, due to the boycott that year.

[@БорисВасилиу-г2б]

Вот это замес! И Володя плыл , оказывается в 16 лет!

[@distanceswimmer]

Да, Сальников был отличным чемпионом! (Я использовал Google Translate, извините, если у меня плохая грамматика.)