Modern Olympic Games Boycotts

“Our nation does not know us as Olympians. Our sublime moments of exertion and triumph do not exist. We have no memories and you have no memories of us” (DeFranz, qtd. in Caraccioli 17). In 1980, the United States led a 61 nation boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympics. President Jimmy Carter called for the boycott to protest the Soviet Union Invasion of Afghanistan. Many people have debated whether the United States should have boycotted the games, which impacted President Jimmy Carter’s diplomatic relations and had serious consequences for athletes around the world. The boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics was problematic for both cultural and political reasons. The United States should not have participated in or led the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics because the US government was blending the spheres of athletics and politics, government officials were solely concerned with the international reputation of the US and its relations with other nations, and the athletes preparing to participate in the games to represent the US were treated unfairly.

The Olympics have shown over the decades that they can be affected by political conflict. However, it seems that this is the point of the Olympics, to illustrate national pride, by competition. Bloodshed should not be the way for pride of one’s country to be shown, but it should be shown through competition, in the words of the founder of the modern Olympic movement, Pierre de

The 1972 Olympics basketball finals in Munich remains one of the most controversial Olympic games in history. Controversies of this match took both a sporting and political angle at the time because the two finalists, team USA and team USSR, came from a background of political competitions by virtue of them being the two most powerful nations on earth. The controversy happened in three “final three seconds.” Whatever happened to the medals remain equally controversial.

During the Cold war, tensions were high between the US and the USSR. The two countries always wanted to show that they were the most dominant. One of the ways that the USSR showed dominance was through the Olympics and ice hockey. The hockey game between the US and the USSR during the 1980 Winter Olympics was a turning point in the Cold War. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) was said to be the best of all the teams in Olympic hockey. The 1980 Olympic hockey game between the US and the USSR was a significant turning point in the Cold War and also reflected the tension of it.

After World War II, the United States and the Soviets, considerably the two greatest superpowers of that time went from allies to enemies as we entered the era of the Cold war. During this period of time, there were critical turning points that proved vital in the revitalization of the American vitality. One of these pivotal moments derived from the outcome of the 1980 Winter Olympic games. The USA hockey teams defeat over the Soviets boosted the spirits of the American soldiers, as well as the American people. On the contrary, the Soviet Union saw their power dwindle after their major defeat in the Winter Olympic games. This critical shift made way for the downfall of the Soviets reign as a major superpower. To further recognize the Winter Olympic games as an imperative turning point in the Cold War, one must educate oneself on previous history.

Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, believed that the Olympics were the true free trade of the future (Doc 1).” In 1892, at a time when Europe was showing rising political tensions, he may have thought this would be a good idea to help calm these tensions (Doc 1). Countries chosen to host the event benefit from the exposure. Japan, for example, greatly appreciated their being chosen for the Olympics. They felt it helped them recover after their defeat in the World War. This sense of appreciation for being chosen shows that the Olympic intentions were definitely good willed and did not just expose nations political tensions (Doc 5).

The 1980 Lake Placid Olympics demonstrated an attempt at a power grab by nation-states. Many of the countries competing used this as an opportunity to create a positive image for their country. For Russia, at the time Soviet Union, they went into the games with the confidence that they would win the Olympic Hockey gold medal like many previous years. They ended up losing to the mainly college student filled U.S.A team, 3 to 4. When The Soviet Union returned to their homeland the whole country was disappointed in their team that had won 5 gold medals before the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

During the Cold War era, the USSR sports movement entered the international competition bringing communist party politics and Soviet society to the front

Most people would classify the Berlin Olympic Games of 1936 as just another Olympics, and they would be right because the Games did have the classic triumphs and upsets that occur at all Olympic Games. What most people did not see, behind the spectacle of the proceedings, was the effect the Nazi party had on every aspect of the Games including the results. Despite Nazi Germany’s determination to come off as the superior nation in the 1936 Olympics, their efforts were almost crushed by the very people they were trying to exclude.

These two olympics were filled with more controversy than all others. The 1980 Olympic Games were held in Moscow, but back then it was a part of the Soviet Union and we were in the middle of the Cold War. Many people around the world were awestruck by the fact that the IOC had even given Moscow the opportunity to be the host city. Due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, 8 months prior to the Olympics, the United States of America and 64 other nations chose to boycott the 1980 Olympics and did not participate in them, leaving only 81 other countries to participate. Oddly enough the United States had gotten the bid to host the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Soviet Union then returned the favor and boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles

The Nazi Olympics in Berlin in 1936 destroyed Hitler’s master race history. "There was very definitely a special feeling in winning the gold medal and being a black man," Woodruff said. "We destroyed [Hitler's] master race theory whenever we started winning those gold medals,” said runner John Woodruff (7). John Woodruff was a black man who won a gold medal. Another African American Jesse Owens won four track and field gold medals. These two people defied the Aryan ideal that Hitler believed that Aryan dominated the world. Another important impact the Olympic brought happened in 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. In that Olympics, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon refused to participate because of a dispute over the Suez Canal; Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands boycotted the Games in protest over the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary; China boycotted the Games because a flag of Taiwan was raised in the Olympic Village. The original purpose of the Olympics was to make the countries collaborate, however, it also brought negative impacts. Another example is that Olympics in Mexico city in 1968. Americans politicised the Games by letting two African Americans, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, represent the United States. Tommie Smith and John Carlos placed first and third in the track and field. During their medal ceremony, they raised a clenched fist above their

"...Sport is prostituted when sport loses its independent and democratic character and becomes a political institution...Nazi Germany is endeavoring to use the Eleventh Olympiad to serve the necessities and interests of the Nazi regime rather than the Olympic ideals."

Research Question: How did the international conflictss between the US and the USSR justify Jimmy Carter’s decision to boycott the 1980 Olympics?

The purpose of this study is to analyze extensively the role that Cold War tensions played in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The analysis seeks to understand the effect that politics, have on the organization, implementation and eventually success of sporting events such as the Olympics. In order to do so, the analysis will address the events leading up to, during and after the Moscow Olympic Games of 1980. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 will be addressed to help place the games into perspective. Also, exchanges between the two nations before, during and after the games will be analyzed to understand if and to what extent they affected the games. To investigate the issue, the study will address the

The Olympic Games in 1972, is another event that you can see how sports and politics intersected throughout history. At this Olympic, hosted by Germany for the first time after the Nazi regime, eight PLO terrorists attacked the Israel delegation, kidnapping and killing nine of the Israeli team members. The motive of the attack was the terrorists hope for releasing several hundred Palestinians prisoners, and few German terrorists as well. The German authorities and the local police were in charge of the negotiation with the terrorist, after refusing an assistant from the Israel government. By the end of the event, there were nine Israelis, five terrorists and one police officers dead. This event shows how the Palestinian organizations tried