Just why is it that the Soviets boycotted the LA Olympics in 1984?

[bluestateguy]

I could never figure this out. Was it just payback for boycotting their Olympics in 1980?

[David Dunham]

1. It looks like we will boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia

[marshall]

11. Payback for Carter boycotting the games in 1980

They made up some sham reason in 84 but it all went back to Carter's decision regarding Afghanistan.

[cobalt1999]

12. Once of Carter's worst decisions.

I'm a big fan of Carter, but he screwed up there. Olympics shouldn't have been used as a political statement by either country.

[Frank Cannon]

14. I agree. It's grossly unfair to the athletes.

Those kids work their asses off, just to have their dreams dashed by the usual political horseshit.

[marshall]

15. It created lots of ill will overseas

I was on a college study abroad for six months in London in 1980. When we traveled on the continent and Israel we were embarassed to be known as Americans--I passed myself off as German or British. We had also planned a one week side trip to Moscow but the embassy advised us not to go because of the negative feelings there toward Americans.

[mcctatas]

2. according to wiki...

"chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States"<[br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Summer_Olympics

[Captain Hilts]

3. Wikipedia isn't accurate for stuff like that.

The whole point of the Olympic games was to beat the USSR. Without them, the medals were meaningless, and they were.

It was payback for 1980. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in Dec. 1979 and the Olympics were Sept. '80. I was in Russia for a couple weeks that winter.

[mcctatas]

5. It was just the quote from the statement Russia put out regarding

their decision not to participate, so while I would never use Wiki as a source for a paper, general info is usually OK

[PVnRT]

6. The modern Olympics started in 1896

Well before there was a Soviet Union, so I doubt the "whole point" of the Games was to beat the commies.

[lurky]

4. I thought it was mainly payback.

All the Western countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 because of Afghanistan. The Soviets were still mad because we ruined their big party.

Somebody else may have a more sophisticated explanation, however.

[malaise]

8. All the Western countries did not boycott the Moscow

Olympics.

[onenote]

10. you are correct

However, a number of western countries whose atheletes participated in the 1980 games did so under the Olympic flag rather than their national flag

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Summer_Olympics#Boycotting_countries_and_regions

[taterguy]

7. Sabonis

[KharmaTrain]

9. Reaction To A Reaction

This was in the "last throes" of the Cold War. The U.S. boycotted Moscow in 1980 after the USSR invaded Afghanistan in Fall '79...and the Soviets returned the "favor" in '84. Also, one of the claims at the time was the Soviets were afraid their athletes would defect...various groups were planning on helping "Communist" athletes to gain assylum in the US. This was right after the death of Breznev and Adropov, the former head of the KGB had taken power...returning to the "good old days" of 50's and 60's.

[theboss]

13. Simple payback

They tried to get 100 countries to boycott. 14 did, I believe.

Romania told them to piss up a rope.

And China participated for the first time in decades.

And LA actually made the Olympics profitable.

So...yea...that worked out well.

[Iggo]

16. Yes, it was just payback.

What's not to understand?