1977 WORLD SUPERSTARS
After four years of competitions across the globe, the best Superstars performers gathered in Callaway Gardens, Georgia for the first ever World Superstars. Just a week before the event, three-time Superstars champion Kyle Rote, Jr. and 1975 champion O.J. Simpson withdrew from the competition. Neither cited a reason. Rote was possibly preparing for the N.A.S.L. season and Simpson may have been working on a film or TV project. I do not know why two-time U.K. champion David Hemery was not in attendance, but he was missed. The athletes qualified largely thorough the European finals and the U.S. Finals as well as Canadian champion Tony Gabriel. The competition boiled down to a duel between the old pole vault rivals Bob Seagren and Kjell Isaksson.
The first event, rowing, would signal the high level of competition that the event would display as the first six athletes in qualifying were separated by less than half a second. Dutch hurdler Frank Nusse defeated New Zealand miler Peter Snell in the heats of the rowing, but the two men had recorded the two fastest times. Nusse was leading slightly in the final when he lost grip on an oar and Snell surged to victory. Snell's winning time of 36.17 was not recognized as a Superstars record, and I am not sure why. The soccer event, new to the Americans, was simply five penalty kicks against Paul Hammond of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Welsh rugby union star Gareth Edwards was the last Superstar in the order and five men had already scored four goals. Edwards made the first four, but missed the fifth putting six men in a tie. French Olympic champion hurdler Guy Drut won the shoot-off and five men tied for second place. Snell had aggravated a hamstring injury from the Superstars finals in the 100 yard dash heats and did not qualify for the final, while Oakland Raider tight end Dave Casper qualified in bare feet. Houston Oiler return specialist Billy "White Shoes" Johnson easily ran away from the field in 9.90 seconds. Casper out lifted the much lighter Isaksson to win the weightlifting, Isaksson weighing less than 160 pounds lifting 265 overhead. Seagren won the half mile as Drut pulled out with about 300 yards remaining with a sore hamstring while in second place.
Snell downed former Green Bay Packer Jim Taylor in the tennis final and Seagren won his second event with an easy victory in the swimming. Isaksson defeated his pole vault rival in the gym tests, which for the first and only time were a combination of chin-ups (which would become a part of the World Superstars gym tests in future years) and parallel bar dips. The bike race was to be about four and a half laps of the track, but the lap counter missed a lap and as Seagren sprinted for second place there was still one lap remaining. By Isaksson taking second place at the end of the fifth lap, Seagren entered the obstacle course with a three point lead over Isaksson and Snell. As expected, Seagren finished with the second best time to record holder Lynn Swann and captured the first World Superstars as he had captured the first Superstars, defeating Isaksson by 8 points. Seagren was quick to note that he had an advantage over Isaksson. Since Isaksson was still an amateur athlete with an eye on the 1980 Olympics, he was ruled ineligible to run in the track events (100 yards and half mile) by the I.A.A.F. Had Isaksson been eligible for these two events as pole vaulter Seagren was, he would have likely turned the tables on his former rival. As it was, the top nine places were either track and field athletes or football players.
Callaway Gardens, Georgia
Competition Dates: March 15-16, 1977.
Air Date: March 27, 1977.
Announcers: ABC - N/A; BBC - David Vine and Ron Pickering.
PLC. NAME, SPORT |
ROW | SCCR | 100 | WL | HALF | TEN | SWIM | GYM | BIKE | OC | TOTAL | MONEY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Bob Seagren, USA, Pole Vault | 2 |
x |
2 |
x |
10 |
x |
10 |
7 |
2 |
7 |
40 |
$37,000 |
2. Kjell Isaksson, SWE, Pole Vault | 4 |
x |
x |
7 |
x |
0 |
2 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
32 |
$24,600 |
3. Peter Snell, NZL, 800/1500 Meters | 10 |
0 |
0 |
x |
x |
10 |
x |
0 |
10 |
0 |
30 |
$14,000 |
4. Lynn Swann, USA, Football | x |
0 |
7 |
1 1/2 |
0 |
1 |
x |
1 |
x |
10 |
20 1/2 |
$11,150 |
5. Dave Casper, USA, Football | 0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
x |
x |
7 |
0 |
x |
0 |
18 |
$8,400 |
6. Frank Nusse, NED, 400 Hurdles | 7 |
2 4/5 |
x |
0 |
x |
4 |
4 |
x |
0 |
0 |
17 4/5 |
$7,340 |
7. Billy Johnson, USA, Football | x |
2 4/5 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
x |
2 |
x |
1 |
15 4/5 |
$4,740 |
8. Jim Taylor, USA, Football | 1 |
2 4/5 |
x |
4 |
x |
7 |
x |
0 |
0 |
scr |
14 4/5 |
$4,440 |
9. Guy Drut, FRA, 110 Hurdles | 0 |
10 |
x |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
x |
x |
4 |
14 |
$4,200 |
10. Karl Schnabl, AUT, Ski Jumping | 0 |
x |
x |
1 1/2 |
2 |
x |
1 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
9 1/2 |
$2,850 |
11. Rudi Krol, NED, Soccer | 0 |
x |
4 |
x |
0 |
0 |
0 |
x |
4 |
0 |
8 |
$2,400 |
12. "Corky" Bell, BEL, Basketball | x |
0 |
0 |
x |
7 |
0 |
x |
0 |
x |
scr |
7 |
$2,100 |
13. Gareth Edwards, GBR, Rugby | 0 |
2 4/5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
x |
0 |
x |
x |
4 4/5 |
$1,440 |
14. Tony Gabriel, CAN, Football | 0 |
0 |
x |
0 |
4 |
0 |
x |
x |
0 |
0 |
4 |
$1,200 |
15. John Conteh, GBR, Boxing | 0 |
2 4/5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
x |
x |
0 |
x |
0 |
3 4/5 |
$1,140 |
VIEW THE COMPLETE BBC VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
INDIVIDUAL EVENT RESULTS
100 YARD DASH - heat 1
1. Billy Johnson | 10.29 |
2. Lynn Swann | 10.45 |
3. Dave Casper | 10.65 |
4. Bob Seagren | 10.80 |
5. John Conteh | 11.81 |
100 YARD DASH - heat 2
1. Rudi Krol | 10.66 |
2. Peter Snell | 11.00 |
3. Gareth Edwards | 11.28 |
4. Corky Bell | 11.30 |
ROWING
1. Peter Snell | 38.42 |
36.17 r |
2. Frank Nusse | 38.31 |
37.2e |
3. Kjell Isaksson | 38.51 |
|
4. Bob Seagren | 38.64 |
|
5. Jim Taylor | 38.66 |
|
6. Karl Schnabl | 38.84 |
|
7. Rudi Krol | 39.76 |
|
8. Dave Casper | 40.25 |
|
9. John Conteh | 41.11 |
|
10. Gareth Edwards | 42.31 |
|
11. Tony Gabriel | 42.37 |
|
12. Guy Drut | 42.86 |
SOCCER PENALTIES - 5 shots vs. Paul Hammond
1. Guy Drut | 4 * |
2. John Conteh | 4 |
2. Gareth Edwards | 4 |
2. Billy Johnson | 4 |
2. Frank Nusse | 4 |
2. Jim Taylor | 4 |
7. Dave Casper | 2 |
8. Tony Gabriel | 1 |
8. Peter Snell | 1 |
8. Lynn Swann | 1 |
11. Corky Bell | 0 |
100 YARD DASH - final
1. Billy Johnson | 9.90 |
2. Lynn Swann | 10.27 |
3. Rudi Krol | 10.39 |
4. Bob Seagren | 10.40 |
5. Dave Casper | 10.86 |
WEIGHT LIFTING
1. Dave Casper | 270 |
2. Kjell Isaksson | 265 |
3. Jim Taylor | 260 |
4. Karl Schnabl | 240 |
4. Lynn Swann | 240 |
6. Guy Drut | 230 |
7. John Conteh | 220 |
7. John Conteh | 220 |
9. Gareth Edwards | 210 |
9. Billy Johnson | 210 |
11. Frank Nusse | 200 |
HALF MILE RUN
1. Bob Seagren | 2:08.70 |
2. Corky Bell | 2:10.43 |
3. Tony Gabriel | 2:13.30 |
4. Karl Schnabl | 2:15.00 |
5. John Conteh | 2:17.48 |
Guy Drut | dnf |
Billy Johnson | dnf |
Rudi Krol | dnf |
Lynn Swann | dnf |
Gareth Edwards | dns |
TENNIS
1. Peter Snell | 10 |
2. Jim Taylor | 7 |
3. Frank Nusse | 4 |
4. Gareth Edwards | 2 |
5. Lynn Swann | 1 |
Nusse d. Bell | 6-1 |
Krol d. Isaksson | 6-0 |
Edwards d. Gabriel | 6-1 |
Nusse d. Swann | 6-4 |
Taylor d. Krol | 6-0 |
Edwards d. Drut | 6-0 |
Snell d. Johnson | 6-2 |
Taylor d. Nusse | 6-4 |
Snell d. Edwards | 6-1 |
Snell d. taylor | 6-4 |
SWIMMING - heat 1 (50 Yards)
1. Kjell Isaksson | 28.80 |
2. Karl Schnabl | 30.90 |
3. Rudi Krol | 31.21 |
4. Guy Drut | 31.75 |
SWIMMING - heat 2 (50 Yards)
1. Dave Casper | 27.34 |
2. Bob Seagren | 27.88 |
3. Frank Nusse | 28.31 |
SWIMMING - Final (100 Yards)
1. Bob Seagren | 59.95 |
2. Dave Casper | 1:04.10 |
3. Frank Nusse | 1:05.09 |
4. Kjell Isaksson | 1:06.00 |
5. Karl Schnabl | 1:35.35 |
GYM TEST - Chin-Ups plus Parallel Bar Dips
1. Kjell Isaksson | 33 |
47 |
80 |
2. Bob Seagren | 28 |
46 |
74 |
3. Karl Schnabl | 27 |
34 |
61 |
4. Billy Johnson | 27 |
24 |
51 |
5. Lynn Swann | 25 |
25 |
50 |
6. John Conteh | 16 |
33 |
49 |
7. Gareth Edwards | 22 |
24 |
46 |
8. Peter Snell | 16 |
dns |
16 |
9. Corky Bell | 15 |
dns |
15 |
10. Dave Casper | 12 |
dns |
12 |
11. Jim Taylor | 9 |
dns |
9 |
BIKE RACE - heat 1 (1/2 Mile)
1. Rudi Krol | 1:10.70 |
2. Kjell Isaksson | 1:10.95 |
3. Karl Schnabl | 1:11.40 |
4. Tony Gabriel | 1:20.26 |
BIKE RACE - heat 2 (1/2 Mile)
1. Peter Snell | 1:12.90 |
2. Kjell Isaksson | 1:13.00 |
3. Frank Nusse | 1:13.33 |
4. Jim Taylor | 1:13.60 |
BIKE RACE-final (1 1/3 Miles)
1. Peter Snell | 3:12.60 |
2. Kjell Isaksson | 3:18.28 |
3. Rudi Krol | 3:18.59 |
4. Bob Seagren | 3:18.60 |
5. Karl Schnabl | dnf |
OBSTACLE COURSE
1. Lynn Swann |
24.21 |
N/A |
2. Bob Seagren |
24.64 |
N/A |
3. Guy Drut |
24.84 |
|
4. Kjell Isaksson |
25.81 |
|
5. Billy Johnson | 26.20 |
|
6. Karl Schnabl | 29.20 |
|
6. Peter Snell | 29.20 |
|
8. Frank Nusse | 29.52 |
|
9. Tony Gabriel | 34.23 |
|
10. Rudi Krol | 40.69 |
|
11. John Conteh | 41.81 |
|
12. Dave Casper | dnf |
e = estimated time
r = Superstars record
N/A = result not available
dnf - did not finish
dns - did not start
nm - no mark