January 26 - Vote to Boycott Moscow Olympics

This Day in History: 26 January 2020

 

26 January 1980

 

40 years ago, today, the US Olympic Committee, at the request of President Jimmy Carter, voted to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan a month prior, orchestrated by Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev. This played a significant role in increasing the tension of the ongoing Cold War, as it was proof that even a competitive, yet friendly international competition of sports could be politicised. Although there was no official announcement of a US boycott of the Olympics, the vote left little room for optimism. 

 

Despite this, President Carter made it clear that if the Soviets did not withdraw from Afghanistan by February 20, the US would withdraw participants from the Moscow Olympics. A member of the Olympics Committee had also stated that the vote had been a request from Carter, to make it known to the Soviets that their aggression would not go unanswered. However, many of the US athletes were critical of the vote and ultimatum, believing that a sports competition was no place for politics. The Soviets ignored the Americans' warning, resulting in the US boycott of the Moscow Olympics. This was the first time in modern history of an American refusal of participation, and the Soviets only withdrew from Afghanistan almost a decade later.

 

Want to find out more about the tension built due to the Moscow Olympics? Click here for more information, or, to watch a video instead, click here.