Olympic Boycotts 1980 and 1984 - Cold War Flashcards
In 1980, what did USA lead and what was it in protest of?
In protest against the invasion of Afghanistan, the USA led a boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games, which was held in Moscow. Over 60 Nations supported the US boycott.
How did countries respond to the Olympic Boycott?
Some countries, including Britain, did not prevent athletes from going, but did encourage them not to take part.
Others decided the athletes should take part only as individuals, rather than officially representing their country.
What did the US tell them if their athletes tried to travel to Moscow?
Their passports would be taken away
What happened as a result of the Olympic boycott in 1980?
The boycott was so effective that with many of the best attletes staying away, some events at the Moscow games were made to look second-rate. The Soviet Union was extremely angry at its chance to showcase communism to the world had been undermined and relations with the US deteriorated even further
Why was the Olympic Boycott from the US so significant?
This was a significant moment in the ‘Second Cold war.’ Relations were so poor that even 4 years later, when it was the USA’s turn to hold the olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, the soviet union led a boycott of the games which was Joined by 15 communist countries
