The US is in crisis over racial injustice. Sino-American relations are imploding, with Taiwan, defending its separate identity, caught in between.

Rome, 1960. Two men meet in the most memorable duel in Olympic history. CK Yang, the “Ironman of Asia,” comes from a marginalized aboriginal family in Taiwan. Rafer Johnson, one of the first black sports superstars, is raised in the segregated American south. During and after their epic battle, both are swept up in Cold War politics and the fight for racial justice.

They are intense rivals, but few people know they are also the closest of friends. Although athletic heroes, they confront poverty, discrimination, racial stereotyping– and tragedy. Yang is poisoned by communist Chinese agents to prevent further Olympic success. Johnson is next to his friend Robert Kennedy when he is assassinated.

Yet their lifelong friendship – captured in an iconic Olympic photograph - sustains them. Yang seeks  reconciliation by supporting Beijing’s bid for the 2008 games. Johnson finds hope in his pioneering involvement with the Special Olympics.

With Black Lives Matter, athletes becoming activists, and tension between Taiwan and China, their unique rivalry and lasting brotherhood is a story that will illuminate and inspire in challenging times.