I have to admit that I remember 1984 Olympics and how everyone talked about the 1980 boycott. I guess I didn't pay attention to this boycott. Notwithstanding, it was on this date in 1980, that President Jimmy Carter announced that the U.S.would boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. This came after the Soviet Union refused to withdraw from Afghanistan by the deadline imposed by the president. Canada, West Germany, and Japan joined the U.S. in the boycott, but Great Britain, France, Greece and Australia refused. An international coalition suggested that athletes from nations involved in the boycott could compete under a neutral Olympic banner, but President Carter threatened to revoke the passport and/or citizenship of any athlete who did so. In retaliation, the Soviet Union boycotted the Summer Olympic Games that were held in Los Angeles (that's the one I remember). I don't really think this did very much except ultimately hurt a lot of athletes.
For more information:
http://famousdaily.com/history/us-boycott-of-moscow-olympics-announced.html
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carter-announces-olympic-boycott
http://slicethelife.com/2013/03/21/potus-jimmy-carter-announces-u-s-boycott-of-1980-summer-olympic-games-in-moscow-this-day-1980/
Interesting, I really love looking back into history like this.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this bit of history!!
ReplyDeleteI, too, remember this. I was only 18 so didn't pay a lot of attention to it. I guess our country was just trying to make a statement but you are right. Don't think it made much of an impact.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I remember the 84 olympics too. I loved watching the gymnastics.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting! 1984 - I was just 1 year old then when this happened.
ReplyDeleteJadey
Ruth, I agree with your summary. Not sure the signal did anything but harm the athletes.
ReplyDeleteI was a little young to remember this, but always love to learn about things when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteThis was the year I was born. I love reading about the year I was born. I put it all into a book for my kids to read! Thanks for this post!
ReplyDeleteWow, I had no idea. I was a little too young to remember all this. But WOW! Yeah, I don't think it did anything except basically big "presidents" throwing toddler tantrums that they aren't getting their way. only the athletes got hurt and bad feelings on all sides of the countries.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of an Olympics being boycotted! Thanks for the history lesson!
ReplyDeleteDawn
HA! 1980 Olympics was an exciting event. I have to say that on the Russian side nobody talked about the countries that didn't show up. I am sure that people upstairs were quite aware, but we, the Russian people, were just excited and happy to see such a big event happening in our country. We had Olympian Bear, that for years to come became a symbol of something big and exciting.
ReplyDelete