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American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics

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The American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow was a part of a package of actions to protest against the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Though the Games have aimed to be an arena free of politics, the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan spurred United States President Jimmy Carter to issue an ultimatum that the United States would boycott the Moscow Olympics if Soviet troops had not withdrawn from the country by 12:01 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on February 20, 1980; the official announcement confirming the boycott was made on March 21. The United States was joined in the boycott by some other populous countries - including Japan, West Germany, China and Canada. Some of these countries competed at the Olympic Boycott Games at Philadelphia. Notably, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece supported the boycott but allowed their athletes to participate if they wished (the U.S. did not). The United Kingdom and France sent a much smaller delegation of athletes than usual. Nevertheless, the delegation of the United Kingdom was the largest among Western Europe, with 170 athletes applying to compete.^[1] Spain, Italy, Sweden, Iceland and Finland were other principal nations representing western Europe,^[1] though Italian athletes belonging to military corps did not attend the Games, due to the government's support of the boycott. The boycott severely affected many events. At the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletes from a number of countries, including Australia, Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, San Marino, Spain, and Switzerland, marched under the Olympic Flag, instead of their national flags. Moreover, although the government of New Zealand officially supported the boycott, four athletes from that country competed independently and marched under their NOC's flag [1]. Altogether, the athletes of 16 countries were not represented by their national flags, and the Olympic Anthem replaced their national anthems at medal ceremonies. As a result, there were a few ceremonies where three Olympic Flags were raised. Even though only 81 nations participated, more world records were set in Moscow than in 1976 in Montreal. The 1984 Summer Olympics took place in Los Angeles, United States of America, with 14 nations missing due to the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, and several others for other reasons. On May 8 1984 the Soviet Union issued a statement, that the country would boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles due to "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States".^[2] 13 Soviet allies joined the boycott. Iran was the only country to boycott both Moscow and Los Angeles