Paul Anderson and Alexey Medvedev: Historic Handshake in Moscow (1955)
History in Color
June 16, 1955, Moscow, Russia – Heavyweights Paul Anderson of the United States and Alexey Medvedev of the Soviet Union exchange a friendly handshake before the first USA vs. USSR Olympic weightlifting match in the Green Theater in Moscow.
It was the first ever visit of the American sports teams to Russia during the Cold War time. It was a common routine back then that the foreign nationals were followed and observed by the Soviet secret police. In 1955, for a different reason, thousands of Russian spectators were following Paul Anderson in Moscow to get a glimpse of the Miracle of Nature, the strongest men they’ve ever seen!
In the first heavyweight micro match, Anderson outlifted Medvedev by 65kg in the 90+kg class:
90+ kg | 6/15/1955 | 1 | Paul ANDERSON | 517.5 | 182.5+142.5+192.5 | |
90+ kg | 6/15/1955 | 2 | Alexey MEDVEDEV | 452.5 | 147.5+135+170 |