Boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games
WHILE the Olympics embody universal values, the Games have always been charged with a nationalist spirit. As countries gather from across the globe, the Olympics provide an opportune moment for international competition. Thus, the history of the Olympics is not merely an account of grandiose sporting events; it captures stories of fierce patriotism, strained foreign relation, and vehicles of political resistance. From the Black Power demonstration of 1968 to the killing of Israeli athletes in 1972, the televised games serve as a vessel for political influence.​
​Words from President Carter
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"What we are doing is preserving the principles and the quality of the Olympics, not destroying it."
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“No, neither I nor the American people would favor the sending of an American team to Moscow with Soviet invasion troops in Afghanistan. I’ve sent a message today to the United States Olympic Committee spelling out my own position that unless the Soviets withdraw their troops, within a month, from Afghanistan, that the Olympic Games be moved from Moscow to an alternate site, or multiple sites, or postponed, or cancelled. If the Soviets do not withdraw their troops from Afghanistan, within a month, I would not support the sending of an American team to the Olympics."
POLITICS IN THE 1980 OLYMPICS
