We explain why the boycott were held to the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games. What happened to the 1976 Olympic Games.
What was the boycott of the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games?
The 1980 Olympic Games is known as boycott of the actions carried out by the United States as protest against the invasion of the Soviet Union to Afghanistan . In response, four years later, the Soviet Union would do the same in the boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games. These events are understood in the context of the Cold War, which faced the two powers in their competence for power and political influence worldwide.
Moscow (the capital of the USSR) was the headquarters of the 1980 Olympic Games. Six months before the start of the competition, The United States announced that it would not participate in the event and that their athletes would not travel to the USSR. President Jimmy Carter explained that this decision was in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which considered a violation of international law. Other countries of the Western block joined the boycott and, finally, 65 delegations were absent in the 1980 Olympic Games.
In 1984, the Olympic Games were held in the United States, with the city of Los Angeles as the main headquarters. In response to the previous boycott, The USSR announced its refusal to participate and organized a parallel competition together with other communist countries, called “The Friendship Olympics.”
THE BICOT TO THE 1980 Olympic Games
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the US president J. Carter proposed to make a boycott of the Olympic Games that were going to be held the following year in Moscow (capital of the USSR).
Its objective was to achieve international support from the Western bloc and that allied countries join the boycott. However, Most nations denied since they disagree with the imposition of political programs within international sports activities.
For American athletes, the boycott was mandatory. Carter threatened to cancel the passport of any athlete who would seek to attend the competition . Many countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia opted for a commitment solution. They offered their athletes to decide for their assistance to Moscow.
Finally, in the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games, the lowest number since 1956. Sixty -five countries joined the boycott and supported the statements of the US President.
The boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games
After the American boycott of Moscow games, The USSR organized a boycott for the 1984 Olympic Games They were held in Los Angeles, United States. In this case, only 14 countries followed the boycott (the USSR and its closest allies).
However, although in effect the number of absent countries was lower, the boycott had a special effect. These absent nations had achieved almost 60% of the 1976 Olympic Games medals so, in short, the absence of the delegations of the countries of the communist bloc were greatly noticed (which had a strong tradition of state support for sports development).
Los Angeles games went down in history for being the first financed without government support. The organizers were largely based on the financing of private sponsors. The model was very criticized at the time, but was later imitated.
THE BACKGROUND: THE BICOT TO THE 1976 Olympic Games
The first history of the boycott of the Olympic Games was in the games that were held in 1976. The blockade was organized by a set of African countries As a protest against New Zealand, for having narrowed its sports ties with South Africa.
Since 1960, different international sports commissions South Africa had been excluding from sports competitions as a sanction for racist policies and repressive that the country carried out in its apartheid policy. In 1970, the International Olympic Commission (IOC) officially prohibited South Africa's participation in the Olympic Games until it raised its racist policy.
However, at the beginning of 1976, New Zealand decided to strengthen its sports ties with South Africa And he sent his rugby selection to a tour of the South African country. The African countries saw this as a substantial support in New Zealand to racist policies and claimed the IOC to exclude New Zealand from the 1976 Olympic Games.
As the IOC refused to do so, a set of African countries began a boycott against the games. In total, 32 countries joined in protest and they refused to participate in the sports Olympics. In addition, the Popular Republic of China or the Republic of China (the nationalist China in Taiwan), for their own political disputes with the Olympic Commission.
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References
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. (2023). “Moscow 1980 Olympic Games”. Britannica Encyclopedia https://www.britannica.com/
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. (2023). “Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games”. Britannica Encyclopedia https://www.britannica.com/
- Carminatti, ML (2020). The Olympic Boicots in the Cold War: the cases of Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 (Dissertation Doctoral, Universidad del Salvador).
