X-Nico

5 unusual facts about 1980 Summer Olympics boycott


Candy Young

In 1980, she qualified for the ill-fated United States Olympic team, which did not participate due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, by finishing third in the Olympic Trials.

Hisham Greiss

1980 Summer Olympics, Egypt Boycotted the Moscow Games in a United States led boycott to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

Mark Belger

In 1980, Belger was set to run for the United States in the Olympic Games, yet missed the opportunity due to the boycott of the games that took place.

Sailing at the 1984 Summer Olympics

In response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries including the Soviet Union, Cuba and East Germany (but not Romania) boycotted the Games.

Silver fern flag

New Zealand officially boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics as part of the US-led boycott of the games.


David Larson

Larson was selected for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, but was unable to compete because U.S. President Jimmy Carter organized the boycott of the Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Jamaica at the 1980 Summer Olympics

The Russian alphabet and Japan's participation in the American-led boycott of the games placed it last before the host nation in the Parade of Nations.

Kate Schmidt

She also made the USA Olympic team in 1980, but the team did not get to compete due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott ordered by then President Jimmy Carter.

Martha Watson

When President Jimmy Carter announced the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, that "killed the spark." By that point in time she had already found employment dealing Blackjack at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

New Zealand–Russia relations

In 1980 New Zealand sent a small rump team to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, although the government persuaded most local sporting bodies to join the boycott in protest at the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

Papua New Guinea at the Olympics

Papua New Guinea first participated at the Olympic Games in 1976, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except when they participated in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Sherri Howard

Although the Olympic trials were held, President Jimmy Carter boycotted the Olympics for political reasons.


see also

Sailing at the 1980 Summer Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a part of a package of actions initiated by the United States to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan.