At the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the results of the men’s 1500m freestyle are as follows:
- Brian Goodell, USA 15:02.40
- Bobby Hackett, USA 15:03.91
- Stephen Holland, Australia 15:04.66
- Djan Madruga, Brazil 15:19.84
- Vladimir Salnikov, Soviet Union 15:29.45
- Max Metzker, Australia 15:31.53
- Paul Hartloff, USA 15:32.08
- Zoltán Wladár, Hungary 15:45.97
At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, the top seeds in the men’s 1500m freestyle are as follows:
- Robert Finke 14:31.59
- Charlie Clark 14:50.84
- Daniel Matheson 15:01.95
- Will Gallant 15:02.63
- David Johnston 15:02.68
- Luke Whitlock 15:07.94
- Levi Sandidge 15:09.75
- Gabriel Manteufel 15:17.47
- Ellis Luke 15:17.92
- Nathan Szobota 15:18.13
So 48 years after a pair of teenage Americans – 17-year-old Brian Goodell and 16-year-old Bobby Hackett – won gold and silver in the 1500m freestyle in the pre-techsuit era, their times still stand up very modern to America’s fastest distance swimmers. So well that Goodell would be seeded fourth and Hackett would be seeded sixth.
Goodell was coached by Mark Schubert on the West Coast in California and Hackett was coached on the East Coast in New York City by Joseph Bernal. Both coaches and both young swimmers never shied away from hard work.
They swam incredibly fast for their era – and all subsequent eras, especially considering that some swam without swim caps, goggles, or tech suits, did no streamlines or any kind dolphining off the walls. It was truly a swim for the ages.
In the mid-1970’s, Coach Bernal challenged Hackett with some tough sets including a non-stop set of 100×100 (yards) freestyle on 1:00 where he smoked the second half with dozens of 100’s in the 53-second range. His 100 x 100 set has since become an annual standard distance swimming set for generations of swimmers. Schubert also coached the Animal Lane where renowned swimmers from around the world came to challenge Goodell and his Mission Viejo Nadadores teammates.
1976 US Olympic Swimming Trials
The pair also battled at earlier competitions including one of the most competitive distance freestyle races ever, held at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Long Beach, California that was beautifully described by Olympian Brenda Borgh Bartlett and David Bartlett in Swimming World Magazine (posted here). The race is acknowledged as one of the greatest races in American swimming history that pitted the following swimming icons:
The Competitors: 1976 US Olympic Trials Men’s 400 Meter Freestyle
Lane 1: John Naber – Ladera Oaks Swim Club
Lane 2: Casey Converse – Mission Viejo Nadadores
Lane 3: Bruce Furniss – Long Beach Swim Club
Lane 4: Tim Shaw – Long Beach Swim Club
Lane 5: Brian Goodell – Mission Viejo Nadadores
Lane 6: Mike Bruner – De Anza Swim Club
Lane 7: Bobby Hackett – Bernal’s Gators Swim Club
Lane 8: Doug Northway – Oasis Swim Club
The Results: 1976 US Olympic Trials Men’s 400 Meter Freestyle
Lane 1: John Naber (4th) 55.59 + 1:54.88 (59.29) + 2:54.59 (59.71) + 3:53.91 (59.32)
Lane 2: Casey Converse (3rd) 57.64 + 1:57.05 (59.41) + 2:55.99 (58.94) + 3:53.70 (57.71)
Lane 3: Bruce Furniss (5th) 56.68 + 1:55.72 (59.04) + 2:55.25 (59.53) + 3:54.33 (59.08)
Lane 4: Tim Shaw (2nd) 56.90 + 1:56.44 (59.54) + 2:55.57 (59.13) + 3:53.52 (57.95)
Lane 5: Brian Goodell (1st) 57.33 + 1:56.65 (59.32) + 2:55.39 (58.74) + 3:53.08 (57.69)
Lane 6: Mike Bruner (6th) 57.36 + 1:57.18 (59.82) + 2:56.80 (59.62) + 3:55.62 (58.82)
Lane 7: Bobby Hackett (7th) 56.90 + 1:56.32 (59.42) + 2:55.82 (59.50) + 3:55.65 (59.83)
Lane 8: Doug Northway (8th) 56.68 + 1:57.02 (1:00.34) + 2:58.53 (1:01.51) + 3:59.18 (1:00.65)
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