1984 Summer Olympics boycott
Encyclopedia
The boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
, California
. The boycott was a follow up to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
. The boycott involved 14 Eastern Bloc
countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union
who initiated the boycott on May 8, 1984, and joined by others, including East Germany, Czechoslovakia
, Hungary
and Cuba
. Romania
, considered a Soviet ally, notably did not withdraw, instead turning up in Los Angeles for the Games held on July 28 through August 12.
The Friendship Games
, an alternative event, was established instead.
(both May 11), and then Laos
and Czechoslovakia (both May 13), with China
formally accepting that it would be present in Los Angeles as the Laotians and Czechs announced their decision to absent themselves. Afghanistan
was the eighth country to boycott the 1984 Olympics. Hungary and Poland
were the ninth and tenth countries to join the boycott on May 16 and May 17 respectively, Hungary saying the lives of its athletes would be put in danger if they were to spend time in Los Angeles, Poland saying the United States was engaging in a "campaign aimed at disturbing the Games" and the Soviet Union saying the White House
intended to permit any possible massacre of Soviet athletes in their apartments, leaving Romania as the only remaining Soviet ally to announce a boycott. Cuba was the eleventh country to announce its participation in the boycott, making front page news in America because it was a "serious blow to boxing and baseball" (May 24). South Yemen were the twelfth state to drop out (May 27), with Los Angeles Times
stating that this was due to their "Marxist
" connections. North Korea
were the thirteenth state to boycott the 1984 Olympics. Radio Moscow
announced Angola's
decision to boycott the 1984 Olympics, as the country became the second African state and 15th state to participate in the boycott.
Iran
decided to boycott 1984 because of "United States interference in the Middle East, its support for the regime occupying Jerusalem and the crimes being committed by the U.S.A. in Latin America, especially in El Salvador." Iran was the only country not to attend both the 1980 Moscow and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. For different reasons, Libya also boycotted.
Announcing its intentions on May 8, 1984, the Soviet Union cited security concerns and stated that "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria [were] being whipped up in the United States." A US official said the country had ignored suggestive comments by the Soviets in the weeks building up to the announcement and that, in spite of all the indications, America was "absolutely dumbfounded" when the official announcement actually came. The American media saw the boycott as revenge for the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games
in response to the 1979 Soviet war in Afghanistan
. Among those subscribing to the revenge hypothesis was Peter Ueberroth
, the chief organizer of the 1984 L.A. Games, who expressed his views in a press conference after the boycott was announced, on the same day that the Olympic torch relay in the United States began in New York City. U.S. President Ronald Reagan
later stated his belief that the Soviets feared some of their athletes might defect. As more and more countries withdrew and the United States became more desperate the IOC even announced on deadline week that it would consider extending the deadline for entry into the Olympics. The three top medal winners from the 1980 Games in Moscow were among the boycotters, but the United States saw this as a "clear advantage" as it meant they would win more medals.
Listed in the chronological order of their withdrawal, not by alphabetical or any geographical order. 16 or 18 (from different sources) in all.
, in July–August, 1984.
", of the U.S. television show The Simpsons
, Krusty Burger is featured in a promotion where the characters get free food if they receive a slip that features an event that was "won" by the United States. The promotion was rigged, as was said in the episode, where every game card was to be in an event that "Communists never lose." However, almost immediately after that is said, word of the boycott is spread and the rigging backfires. Krusty Burger loses so much money on the promotion that Krusty states publicly he will "personally spit in every 50th burger".
The Krusty Burger promotion paralleled a real-life McDonald's
scratch-card promotion from the 1984 Olympics that also lost that company money. The promotion was called "If the US Wins, You Win!" and gave away Big Mac
hamburger sandwiches for every gold medal, fries for every silver medal, and Coca-Cola
beverages for every bronze; like the Krusty Burger promotion, McDonald's lost money. (McDonald's promotion lost money due to employees handing out promotion cards at will instead of with purchases as was intended.)
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The boycott was a follow up to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. The boycott involved 14 Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
who initiated the boycott on May 8, 1984, and joined by others, including East Germany, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 until end of 1989 , a Soviet satellite state of the Eastern Bloc....
, Hungary
People's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, considered a Soviet ally, notably did not withdraw, instead turning up in Los Angeles for the Games held on July 28 through August 12.
The Friendship Games
Friendship Games
The Friendship Games or Friendship-84 was an international multi-sport event held between 2 July and 16 September 1984 in the Soviet Union and eight other socialist states which boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles....
, an alternative event, was established instead.
Reasons
The USSR announced its intentions to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics on May 8, 1984. Six more states followed within days: Bulgaria, then East Germany (on May 10, citing the attitude of the American government for "destroy[ing] the basis" of its desired participation), followed by Mongolia and VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
(both May 11), and then Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Czechoslovakia (both May 13), with China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
formally accepting that it would be present in Los Angeles as the Laotians and Czechs announced their decision to absent themselves. Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :...
was the eighth country to boycott the 1984 Olympics. Hungary and Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
were the ninth and tenth countries to join the boycott on May 16 and May 17 respectively, Hungary saying the lives of its athletes would be put in danger if they were to spend time in Los Angeles, Poland saying the United States was engaging in a "campaign aimed at disturbing the Games" and the Soviet Union saying the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
intended to permit any possible massacre of Soviet athletes in their apartments, leaving Romania as the only remaining Soviet ally to announce a boycott. Cuba was the eleventh country to announce its participation in the boycott, making front page news in America because it was a "serious blow to boxing and baseball" (May 24). South Yemen were the twelfth state to drop out (May 27), with Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
stating that this was due to their "Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
" connections. North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
were the thirteenth state to boycott the 1984 Olympics. Radio Moscow
Voice of Russia
Voice of Russia is the Russian government's international radio broadcasting service owned by the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company. Its predecessor Radio Moscow was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.-Early years:Radio Moscow...
announced Angola's
People's Republic of Angola
The People's Republic of Angola was a self-declared socialist state that was established in 1975 after it was granted independence from Portugal, akin to the situation in Mozambique. The newly-founded nation enjoyed friendly relations with the Soviet Union, Cuba, and the People's Republic of...
decision to boycott the 1984 Olympics, as the country became the second African state and 15th state to participate in the boycott.
Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
decided to boycott 1984 because of "United States interference in the Middle East, its support for the regime occupying Jerusalem and the crimes being committed by the U.S.A. in Latin America, especially in El Salvador." Iran was the only country not to attend both the 1980 Moscow and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. For different reasons, Libya also boycotted.
Announcing its intentions on May 8, 1984, the Soviet Union cited security concerns and stated that "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria [were] being whipped up in the United States." A US official said the country had ignored suggestive comments by the Soviets in the weeks building up to the announcement and that, in spite of all the indications, America was "absolutely dumbfounded" when the official announcement actually came. The American media saw the boycott as revenge for the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in response to the 1979 Soviet war in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
. Among those subscribing to the revenge hypothesis was Peter Ueberroth
Peter Ueberroth
Peter Victor Ueberroth is an American executive. He served as the sixth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989. He was recently the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee; he was replaced by Larry Probst in October 2008....
, the chief organizer of the 1984 L.A. Games, who expressed his views in a press conference after the boycott was announced, on the same day that the Olympic torch relay in the United States began in New York City. U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
later stated his belief that the Soviets feared some of their athletes might defect. As more and more countries withdrew and the United States became more desperate the IOC even announced on deadline week that it would consider extending the deadline for entry into the Olympics. The three top medal winners from the 1980 Games in Moscow were among the boycotters, but the United States saw this as a "clear advantage" as it meant they would win more medals.
Boycotting governments
Effects (Friendship Games)
The boycott affected a large number of Olympic events that were normally dominated by the absent countries. Boycotting countries organized another major event, called the Friendship GamesFriendship Games
The Friendship Games or Friendship-84 was an international multi-sport event held between 2 July and 16 September 1984 in the Soviet Union and eight other socialist states which boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles....
, in July–August, 1984.
In popular culture
In the season 4 episode, "Lisa's First WordLisa's First Word
"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of...
", of the U.S. television show The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Krusty Burger is featured in a promotion where the characters get free food if they receive a slip that features an event that was "won" by the United States. The promotion was rigged, as was said in the episode, where every game card was to be in an event that "Communists never lose." However, almost immediately after that is said, word of the boycott is spread and the rigging backfires. Krusty Burger loses so much money on the promotion that Krusty states publicly he will "personally spit in every 50th burger".
The Krusty Burger promotion paralleled a real-life McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
scratch-card promotion from the 1984 Olympics that also lost that company money. The promotion was called "If the US Wins, You Win!" and gave away Big Mac
Big Mac
The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by McDonald's, an international fast food restaurant chain. It is one of the company's signature products...
hamburger sandwiches for every gold medal, fries for every silver medal, and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
beverages for every bronze; like the Krusty Burger promotion, McDonald's lost money. (McDonald's promotion lost money due to employees handing out promotion cards at will instead of with purchases as was intended.)