Friendship Games
Encyclopedia
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 state
s which boycotted
the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
.
Although Friendship Games officials denied that the Games were to be a counter-Olympic event to avoid conflicts with the International Olympic Committee
, the competition was often dubbed the Eastern Bloc
's "alternative Olympics". Some fifty states took part in the competition. While the boycotting countries were represented by their strongest athletes, other states sent their reserve teams, consisting of athletes who failed to qualify for Los Angeles.
were scheduled to begin, the Soviet Union
announced its decision to boycott the Games, citing lack of security for Soviet athletes in Los Angeles
. The TASS
news agency further accused the United States
of trying to "exploit the Games for its political purposes" stating that the "arrogant, hegemonic course of the Washington administration in international relations is at odds with the noble ideals of the Olympic movement".
In an article published by the London Evening Standard several hours before the official announcement, Victor Louis
– a Soviet journalist writing for the Western press, thought to be used by the Kremlin as an unofficial means of leaking information to the West – first informed the world of the USSR's decision to boycott, adding that detailed plans for the "Soviet bloc's alternative games" had already been made. Louis claimed they would "probably be announced at the last minute to throw the American organization into chaos". The article named Bulgaria as the possible host country. On 10 May, Bulgaria became the first Soviet ally to join the boycott, soon followed by East Germany (also 10 May), Mongolia
and Vietnam
(both 11 May).
Louis wrote another article on 13 May, for the French Le Journal du Dimanche
, once again stating that the Soviet Union was contemplating counter-Olympic Games, possibly held in Sofia
, the capital of Bulgaria. However, this time he noted that the idea was unlikely, as the Soviets feared that organizing such an event might prompt the International Olympic Committee
to exclude the USSR. On the same day, Soviet sports commentator Vsevold Kuskuskin, during an interview for ABC
television program This Week with David Brinkley
, said the Eastern Bloc
would definitely not organize such games. Also on 13 May, Laos
, Czechoslovakia
and Afghanistan
announced their decision to boycott the Los Angeles games.
On 14 May, Marat Gramov, head of the Soviet Olympic Committee, called a press conference to discuss the boycott. During the conference, Gramov assured "Moscow would not support any alternative games staged to compete with the Olympics". On the same day, Poland
stated that, while Eastern Bloc officials had vetoed a counter-Olympics idea, the Bloc would instead "sponsor sports events in various nations as a substitute for participation in the Los Angeles games", holding them at a different time than the Olympics.
Hungary
become the ninth country to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics on 16 May, followed by Poland a day later.
On 20 May, Olaf Brockmann of Austrian newspaper Die Presse
, citing Alexander Ushakov, head trainer of the Soviet decathlon team, said Eastern Bloc countries were hastily arranging a series of sports events. Brockmann named five competitions: two track and field athletics meets, one to be held in Prague
, Czechoslovakia, and the other in East Berlin
and Potsdam
, East Germany; plus fencing, modern pentathlon and boxing events to be held in Poland. Ushakov reportedly said the events would be held either before or after the Olympics, to avoid conflicts with the IOC, which would ban any form of counter-Olympic Games.
Juan Antonio Samaranch
, President of the IOC
, held a conference with Olympic Committees of eleven Eastern Bloc countries (eight of the boycotting states – Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, the Soviet Union and Vietnam – plus Cuba
, North Korea
and Romania) in Prague, Czechoslovakia, starting on 21 May. Samaranch hoped to convince the boycotting states to change their position., but while Romania assured him it would attend the Los Angeles Olympics, the remaining ten countries did not change their stance and even used the meeting to discuss "their own summer games". The official announcement was made by Antonin Himl, President of the Czech National Olympic Committee, who appeared on Prague television on 24 May. Himl said that, after the Olympic Games ended, various Eastern bloc countries would hold their own sport events in Olympic disciplines. Himl stated that the games' intention would be to "give athletes who have conscientiously prepared for the past four years a possibility to sell their abilities". Thus, the Friendship Games idea was officially proclaimed.
Himl said the games would be held after 12 August (i.e. after the Summer Olympics), and that his country, Czechoslovakia, would host gymnastics, archery, women's handball, and women's track and field athletics. He also gave assurances that the events would be open to all athletes, including those from non-boycotting nations.
Soon after the meeting, Cuba also announced its decision to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics. By the end of June, North Korea
, South Yemen, Ethiopia
and Angola
had done the same.
In June, the Soviet Union asked Ted Turner
and his Turner Broadcasting System
to televise the events held in Hungary for American audiences. Turner eventually declined, but assured that his network would give spot coverage to the Games and treat it as any other sporting event.
While Olympic-boycotting countries were represented by their strongest athletes, other states sent their reserve teams, consisting of athletes who failed to qualify for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
included "girls in white leotards [spinning] red and white beachballs in unison, (...) dozens of children in traditional costumes of the Soviet republics", a "squadron of young performers" which created "a human weaving machine by ducking and turning to mesh their colored banners" and "red-attired teenage girls with silver hula hoop
s", which spelled the words 'USSR' and 'peace'. The ceremony was described as being "reminiscent of Olympic galas".
As in Olympic opening ceremonies, a torch bearer (Soviet runner and 1980
gold medalist Viktor Markin
) carried the flame into the stadium and lit a giant bowl which had been built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The torch had been lit from an eternal flame
for World War II
victims located in the Kremlin
.
Teams marched onto the stadium behind flags, but unlike in the Olympics, they were not national teams but sporting organisations, such as Dynamo
or Spartak
.
Songs performed during the ceremony included a 1918 military march dedicated to the Red Army
, "Stadium of My Dreams", written for the 1980 Olympics, and a specially composed song with the chorus "To a sunny peace – yes, yes, yes / To a nuclear blast – no, no, no."
General Secretary
Konstantin Chernenko
, did not attend the ceremony as expected, but five Politburo
members were present: Dimitri Ustinov, Mikhail Gorbachev
, Grigory Romanov
, Vitaly Vorotnikov
and Viktor Grishin
.
The Games were contested in 22 Olympic disciplines (all except association football and synchronized swimming
), and in non-Olympic table tennis
, tennis
, and sambo wrestling
. Additionally, the Friendship Games included non-Olympic women's shooting and rhythmic gymnastic events but not women's road race cycling, which became an Olympic event in 1984.
said his athletes beat more than ten world records during the preparations for the competition. While the Soviet athletes set no new records during the Games, they still dominated, winning more than a half of the gold medals. The only new world record was set by East German Irina Meszynski
in women's discus throw, with 73.36 m.
Athletics was the only discipline which saw participation of recent Olympic
gold medalists, with American sprinter Alice Brown
taking part in women's 100-metre run, and West German Claudia Losch
competing in shot put. However, neither won medals.
In an unusual feat, Alberto Juantorena
(Cuba) and Ryszard Ostrowski
(Poland) both crossed the finish line at exactly the same moment in the men's 800-metre run. After the officials were unable to decide who came first – even after examining a photograph
– both were declared winners.
The annual Moscow marathon was declared to be a Friendship Games event in 1984. This caused a minor controversy, as the United States Marine
guards of the American embassy, who usually took part in it, withdrew after learning it would be treated as a Friendship Games competition.
, there were no semifinals or finals.
in the welterweight
category was the only non-Cuban to win gold. Teófilo Stevenson
, three-time consecutive Olympic gold medalist who lost the chance to win his fourth gold when Cuba boycotted the Los Angeles Games, won the super heavyweight category.
Boxing was one of just three disciplines in which the Soviet Union did not win a gold medal, the others being modern pentathlon and table tennis.
, East Germany, usually used as a car or motorcycle race track, served as cycling venue for the individual road race. The event saw participation of top cyclists of the era, including numerous Peace Race veterans such as Uwe Ampler
and Uwe Raab.
and Brita Baldus
.
In individual dressage, Yuri Kovshov
won both gold and silver, riding two different horses.
and Edit Kovács
.
were awarded the bronze medal.
A team representing the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
also competed in the men's event, but lost all its matches, including a 0:27 loss to East Germany.
achieved perfect "10" scores ten times: four in individual competitions, and six in team events. All fifteen medals in rhythmic gymnastics were won by just four athletes: Bulgarians Anelia Ralenkova
and Diliana Gueorguieva, and Soviets Galina Beloglazova
and Dalia Kutkaite.
of Hungary was the top scorer with 26 goals. The USSR finished first in the women's tournament.
, near Tallinn
, Estonian SSR
, with the exception of 470 and Finn classes, which were contested on Lake Balaton
in Hungary. Soviets and East Germans won all of the gold medals. Canada
and Finland
won their only Friendship Games medals.
events.
's result of 1:58.41 in men's 200 metre backstroke excited the crowd, as it was some one and a half seconds better than Rick Carey
's result during the Olympics. Fifteen-year-old Sylvia Gerasch set the world record in women's 100 m breaststroke and was also part of the relay team that beat the 4 ×100 m medley record.
, which was at odds with most socialist states following the Sino-Soviet split
, took part in the event.
.
and Greco-Roman
events, non-Olympic sambo
wrestling events were also contested. Sambo was the only event hosted by Mongolia.
Media on both sides of the Iron Curtain
frequently compared the results of 1984 Summer Olympics and the Friendship Games. Over sixty Friendship Games results would have secured medals at the Olympic games. East Bloc athletes outperformed Olympic winners in 20 of 41 track-and-field events and eleven of 29 swimming events. Had Li Yuwei
, who won the 1984 Olympic gold medal in 50 metre running target shooting, obtained the same score in the Friendship Games, he would have only placed sixth. Indeed, in events such as weightlifting or wrestling, the Friendship Games had almost all of the top athletes of the time.
However, some journalists noted that making such comparisons was unjustified, because of differing conditions and equipment. For example, Marlies Göhr
's result of 10.95 in women's 100 metre run was slightly better than Evelyn Ashford
's winning time of 10.97 at the 1984 Olympics, but when the two met head-to-head a week after the Friendship Games, Ashford was much faster than Göhr and set the new world record. Similarly, Eastern Bloc results in track cycling were better than Olympic results, but Friendship Games cyclists competed on an indoor wooden track, while the Olympic events took place on a outdoor concrete track. "It is like saying Carl Lewis
was faster than Jesse Owens
, Muhammad Ali
would have beaten Joe Louis
or Secretariat
would have outrun Man o' War
", Sam Lacy
of the Afro-American concluded.
The comparisons also had political significance. While Friendship Games organizers repeatedly assured the press that their event was not an "alternative Olympics", presumably to avoid punitive IOC measures, Soviet state-run media often alluded to such comparisons. The TASS agency declared that the Eastern Bloc's games were a "major event in the Olympic year", while the Sovietsky Sport newspaper described the Games as the "main event of the Olympic quadrennium". Marat Gramov, head of the Soviet Olympic Committee, said that the "socialist nations remain faithful to the task of strengthening the unity of the Olympics movement", while describing the Los Angeles Games as full of "chauvinism and mass psychosis".
When asked about the Friendship Games, Monique Berlioux, then director of the IOC, said she had "no reaction whatsoever" to the competition.
party in Poland proposed granting Friendship Games medalists sports retirement benefits similar to those given to Olympic medalists. The proposal was never voted upon.
button, this table can be sorted by event name, starting date, or host country.
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
held between 2 July and 16 September 1984 in 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....
and eight other socialist state
Socialist state
A socialist state generally refers to any state constitutionally dedicated to the construction of a socialist society. It is closely related to the political strategy of "state socialism", a set of ideologies and policies that believe a socialist economy can be established through government...
s which boycotted
1984 Summer Olympics boycott
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...
the 1984 Summer Olympics
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...
.
Although Friendship Games officials denied that the Games were to be a counter-Olympic event to avoid conflicts with the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
, the competition was often dubbed the 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...
's "alternative Olympics". Some fifty states took part in the competition. While the boycotting countries were represented by their strongest athletes, other states sent their reserve teams, consisting of athletes who failed to qualify for Los Angeles.
Background
On 8 May 1984, less than three months before the 1984 Summer Olympics1984 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...
were scheduled to begin, 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....
announced its decision to boycott the Games, citing lack of security for Soviet athletes 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...
. The TASS
Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union , was the central agency for collection and distribution of internal and international news for all Soviet newspapers, radio and television stations...
news agency further accused the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of trying to "exploit the Games for its political purposes" stating that the "arrogant, hegemonic course of the Washington administration in international relations is at odds with the noble ideals of the Olympic movement".
In an article published by the London Evening Standard several hours before the official announcement, Victor Louis
Victor Louis (journalist)
Victor Louis was a Soviet journalist who worked for Western media outlets in Moscow and had close work connections with the senior levels of the USSR KGB. He was used by the Soviet government as an informal channel of communication and for subtle disinformation operations in the Cold War...
– a Soviet journalist writing for the Western press, thought to be used by the Kremlin as an unofficial means of leaking information to the West – first informed the world of the USSR's decision to boycott, adding that detailed plans for the "Soviet bloc's alternative games" had already been made. Louis claimed they would "probably be announced at the last minute to throw the American organization into chaos". The article named Bulgaria as the possible host country. On 10 May, Bulgaria became the first Soviet ally to join the boycott, soon followed by East Germany (also 10 May), Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
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 11 May).
Louis wrote another article on 13 May, for the French Le Journal du Dimanche
Le Journal du Dimanche
Le Journal du Dimanche is a French weekly newspaper. It is only published on Sundays.-History:The newspaper was created by Pierre_Lazareffin 1948. It now belongs to the Lagardère Group, through Hachette Filipacchi Médias...
, once again stating that the Soviet Union was contemplating counter-Olympic Games, possibly held in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the capital of Bulgaria. However, this time he noted that the idea was unlikely, as the Soviets feared that organizing such an event might prompt the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
to exclude the USSR. On the same day, Soviet sports commentator Vsevold Kuskuskin, during an interview for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television program This Week with David Brinkley
This Week (ABC TV series)
This Week is ABC's Sunday morning political affairs program.The Sunday morning talk show has aired on Sunday mornings on ABC since 1981; the program is initially aired at 9:00 AM ET, although many stations air the program later, especially those in other time zones...
, said the 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...
would definitely not organize such games. Also on 13 May, 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...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and 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 :...
announced their decision to boycott the Los Angeles games.
On 14 May, Marat Gramov, head of the Soviet Olympic Committee, called a press conference to discuss the boycott. During the conference, Gramov assured "Moscow would not support any alternative games staged to compete with the Olympics". On the same day, 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...
stated that, while Eastern Bloc officials had vetoed a counter-Olympics idea, the Bloc would instead "sponsor sports events in various nations as a substitute for participation in the Los Angeles games", holding them at a different time than the Olympics.
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...
become the ninth country to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics on 16 May, followed by Poland a day later.
On 20 May, Olaf Brockmann of Austrian newspaper Die Presse
Die Presse
Die Presse is an Austrian daily newspaper based in Vienna. It was founded in 1946 by World War II resistance fighter Ernst Molden and stands in tradition of the Viennese newspapers "Die Presse" and "Neue Freie Presse" . The paper covers general news topics...
, citing Alexander Ushakov, head trainer of the Soviet decathlon team, said Eastern Bloc countries were hastily arranging a series of sports events. Brockmann named five competitions: two track and field athletics meets, one to be held in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czechoslovakia, and the other in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
and Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, East Germany; plus fencing, modern pentathlon and boxing events to be held in Poland. Ushakov reportedly said the events would be held either before or after the Olympics, to avoid conflicts with the IOC, which would ban any form of counter-Olympic Games.
Juan Antonio Samaranch
Juan Antonio Samaranch
Don Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquis of Samaranch, Grandee of Spain , known in Catalan as Joan Antoni Samaranch i Torelló , was a Catalan Spanish sports administrator who served as the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001...
, President of the IOC
Presidents of the International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is a corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on 23 June 1894. Its membership consists of the 205 National Olympic Committees...
, held a conference with Olympic Committees of eleven Eastern Bloc countries (eight of the boycotting states – Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, the Soviet Union and Vietnam – plus 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...
, 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...
and Romania) in Prague, Czechoslovakia, starting on 21 May. Samaranch hoped to convince the boycotting states to change their position., but while Romania assured him it would attend the Los Angeles Olympics, the remaining ten countries did not change their stance and even used the meeting to discuss "their own summer games". The official announcement was made by Antonin Himl, President of the Czech National Olympic Committee, who appeared on Prague television on 24 May. Himl said that, after the Olympic Games ended, various Eastern bloc countries would hold their own sport events in Olympic disciplines. Himl stated that the games' intention would be to "give athletes who have conscientiously prepared for the past four years a possibility to sell their abilities". Thus, the Friendship Games idea was officially proclaimed.
Himl said the games would be held after 12 August (i.e. after the Summer Olympics), and that his country, Czechoslovakia, would host gymnastics, archery, women's handball, and women's track and field athletics. He also gave assurances that the events would be open to all athletes, including those from non-boycotting nations.
Soon after the meeting, Cuba also announced its decision to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics. By the end of June, 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...
, South Yemen, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
had done the same.
In June, the Soviet Union asked Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
and his Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
to televise the events held in Hungary for American audiences. Turner eventually declined, but assured that his network would give spot coverage to the Games and treat it as any other sporting event.
Participating nations
Initial estimates placed the number of athletes participating in Soviet event venues at approximately 8000. Later, the number of expected participants was lowered to 2300, representing 49 countries. However, not all the expected athletes showed up. The exact number of athletes who took part in events held outside of the Soviet Union is unknown.While Olympic-boycotting countries were represented by their strongest athletes, other states sent their reserve teams, consisting of athletes who failed to qualify for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Opening ceremony
Although the Games began on 2 July with table tennis events held in North Korea, the official opening ceremony was held on 18 August in Moscow, soon after the first events hosted by the Soviet Union started. The two-hour ceremony held at the Central Lenin StadiumLuzhniki Stadium
The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. Its total seating capacity is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, previously called the Central Lenin Stadium...
included "girls in white leotards [spinning] red and white beachballs in unison, (...) dozens of children in traditional costumes of the Soviet republics", a "squadron of young performers" which created "a human weaving machine by ducking and turning to mesh their colored banners" and "red-attired teenage girls with silver hula hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
s", which spelled the words 'USSR' and 'peace'. The ceremony was described as being "reminiscent of Olympic galas".
As in Olympic opening ceremonies, a torch bearer (Soviet runner and 1980
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...
gold medalist Viktor Markin
Viktor Markin
Viktor Fyodorovich Markin is a former Soviet athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics....
) carried the flame into the stadium and lit a giant bowl which had been built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The torch had been lit from an eternal flame
Eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns day and night for an indefinite period. The flame that burned constantly at Delphi was an archaic feature, "alien to the ordinary Greek temple"....
for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
victims located in the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
.
Teams marched onto the stadium behind flags, but unlike in the Olympics, they were not national teams but sporting organisations, such as Dynamo
Dynamo Sports Club
Dinamo, also Dynamo, is the oldest sports and physical training society that was created in 1923.-Name:The name given to the society was supposed to mean "Power in Motion" from Greek: δύναμις; dynamis -power, and Latin: motio, -motion...
or Spartak
Spartak (sports society)
Spartak is the International Fitness and Sports Society of Nikolai Starostin.-Overview:Spartak was the first and the largest All-Union Voluntary Sports Society of workers of state trade, producers' cooperation, light industry, civil aviation, education, culture, health service etc...
.
Songs performed during the ceremony included a 1918 military march dedicated to the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, "Stadium of My Dreams", written for the 1980 Olympics, and a specially composed song with the chorus "To a sunny peace – yes, yes, yes / To a nuclear blast – no, no, no."
General Secretary
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...
Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985...
, did not attend the ceremony as expected, but five Politburo
Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Politburo , known as the Presidium from 1952 to 1966, functioned as the central policymaking and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.-Duties and responsibilities:The...
members were present: Dimitri Ustinov, Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, Grigory Romanov
Grigory Romanov
Grigory Vasilyevich Romanov , was a Soviet politician and member of the Politburo and Secretariat of the CPSU. In 1985, he was considered Mikhail Gorbachev's main rival in the succession struggle after the death of Konstantin Chernenko in March 1985....
, Vitaly Vorotnikov
Vitaly Vorotnikov
Vitaly Ivanovich Vorotnikov was a Soviet-Russian statesman who was from 1983 to 1988 the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, and from 1988 to 1990 Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR.-References:...
and Viktor Grishin
Viktor Grishin
Viktor Vasilyevich Grishin was a Soviet politician. He was a Candidate and Full Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.Grishin was born in Serpukhov, Moscow Oblast. He served in the Red Army from 1938 until 1940...
.
Summary
Events were hosted by nine countries (Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, North Korea, Mongolia, Poland, and the Soviet Union) between 2 July and 16 September 1984. With the exception of equestrian jumping, no events were held during the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (held between 28 July and 12 August).The Games were contested in 22 Olympic disciplines (all except association football and synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming
Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
), and in non-Olympic table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and sambo wrestling
Sambo (martial art)
Sambo is a Russian martial art and combat sport. The word "SAMBO" is an acronym for SAMooborona Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defense without weapons". Sambo is relatively modern since its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand to hand...
. Additionally, the Friendship Games included non-Olympic women's shooting and rhythmic gymnastic events but not women's road race cycling, which became an Olympic event in 1984.
Archery
The Soviet Union won five out of six possible medals.Athletics
In an interview shortly before the events began, the Soviet team's coach Igor Ter-OvanesyanIgor Ter-Ovanesyan
Igor Aramovich Ter-Ovanesyan is a Ukrainian athlete of Armenian ethnicity, and Olympic medalist in the long jump for the USSR.Ter-Ovanesyan trained at Burevestnik, first in Kiev, later in Lviv and then in Moscow. He participated in the Olympic Games five times and twice won a bronze medal...
said his athletes beat more than ten world records during the preparations for the competition. While the Soviet athletes set no new records during the Games, they still dominated, winning more than a half of the gold medals. The only new world record was set by East German Irina Meszynski
Irina Meszynski
Irina Meszynski is a retired East German discus thrower.On August 17, 1984 Meszynski set a world record in women's discus throw at 73.36 meters...
in women's discus throw, with 73.36 m.
Athletics was the only discipline which saw participation of recent Olympic
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...
gold medalists, with American sprinter Alice Brown
Alice Brown (athlete)
Alice Regina Brown is a retired American sprinter. She was a silver medalist in the 1984 Olympic 100m final in a time of 11.13 seconds...
taking part in women's 100-metre run, and West German Claudia Losch
Claudia Losch
Claudia Losch is a German track and field athlete.Losch won the German indoor championship in the shot put in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, and 1989...
competing in shot put. However, neither won medals.
In an unusual feat, Alberto Juantorena
Alberto Juantorena
Alberto Juantorena Danger is a Cuban former track athlete. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, he became the first and so far only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles....
(Cuba) and Ryszard Ostrowski
Ryszard Ostrowski
Ryszard Ostrowski is a retired Polish middle distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres.He was born in Poznań, and represented the club Olimpia Poznań. He won the 800 metres at the 1983 Summer Universiade and the 1985 Summer Universiade...
(Poland) both crossed the finish line at exactly the same moment in the men's 800-metre run. After the officials were unable to decide who came first – even after examining a photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
– both were declared winners.
The annual Moscow marathon was declared to be a Friendship Games event in 1984. This caused a minor controversy, as the United States Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
guards of the American embassy, who usually took part in it, withdrew after learning it would be treated as a Friendship Games competition.
Basketball
The Soviet Union won the men's final against Czechoslovakia 105:70, and Cuba came in third ahead of Poland. The USSR also finished first in the women's event, but since it was a round-robin tournamentRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
, there were no semifinals or finals.
Boxing
The host nation, Cuba, fully dominated the event, winning eleven out of twelve gold medals. East German Torsten SchmitzTorsten Schmitz
Torsten Schmitz is a retired German boxer in the Light Middleweight division. He represented Germany at the 1988 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:...
in the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
category was the only non-Cuban to win gold. Teófilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence or Teófilo Stevenson is a former Cuban amateur boxer. He is one of the only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón....
, three-time consecutive Olympic gold medalist who lost the chance to win his fourth gold when Cuba boycotted the Los Angeles Games, won the super heavyweight category.
Boxing was one of just three disciplines in which the Soviet Union did not win a gold medal, the others being modern pentathlon and table tennis.
Canoeing
Hosts East Germany and the Soviet Union won all twelve gold medals, six apiece.Cycling
The Schleizer Dreieck in SchleizSchleiz
Schleiz is a town in the district of Saale-Orla-Kreis in Thuringia, Germany.- Location :Schleiz is in the Thuringian Vogtland area, an area of wooded hills on the borders of Thuringia, Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic...
, East Germany, usually used as a car or motorcycle race track, served as cycling venue for the individual road race. The event saw participation of top cyclists of the era, including numerous Peace Race veterans such as Uwe Ampler
Uwe Ampler
Uwe Ampler is a retired track and road cyclist from East Germany, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he won the gold medal in the men's team time trial, alongside Jan Schur, Mario Kummer, and Maik Landsmann. His father, Klaus Ampler, was...
and Uwe Raab.
Diving
Diving was yet another event dominated by East Germans and Soviets. Gold medalists included Aleksandr PortnovAleksandr Portnov
Aleksandr Staliyevich Portnov is a former Soviet diver and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, where he received a gold medal in springboard.-References:...
and Brita Baldus
Brita Baldus
Brita Pia Baldus is a German diver, who competed for East Germany until the unification in 1991. She was affiliated with the Sportclub Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur in Leipzig....
.
Equestrian
Equestrian events were the only discipline contested at the same time as the 1984 Summer Olympics, as jumping events took place between 6 and 10 August. It was also the only discipline in which West German and Italian athletes won medals.In individual dressage, Yuri Kovshov
Yuri Kovshov
Yuri Aleksandrovich Kovshov is a former Soviet equestrian and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal in team dressage at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and received a silver medal in individual dressage.-References:...
won both gold and silver, riding two different horses.
Fencing
Soviet fencers won most of the men's events, while Hungary won both women's events, thanks to Gertrúd StefanekGertrúd Stefanek
Gertrúd Stefanek is a Hungarian fencer, who won two Olympic medals in the foil team competitions, in 1980 in Moscow and 1988 in Seoul.-References:...
and Edit Kovács
Edit Kovács
Edit Kovács is a Hungarian fencer, who won three Olympic medals in the foil team competitions. She graduated from the Physical Education College in 1986. She became the senior inspector of the Hungarian Fencing Association, then she was secretary general between 1991 and 2001.-External links:*...
.
Field hockey
The Soviet Union "A" team won the men's tournament, and while the Soviet Union "B" team came in third, fourth-place finishers ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
were awarded the bronze medal.
A team representing the Democratic Republic of 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 :...
also competed in the men's event, but lost all its matches, including a 0:27 loss to East Germany.
Gymnastics
In artistic gymnastics, Olga MostepanovaOlga Mostepanova
Olga Vasilyevna Mostepanova is a retired prominent Soviet gymnast. Her birth year has been variously reported as 1968 or 1969, but Mostepanova herself has stated that she was actually born in 1970.-Gymnastics career:...
achieved perfect "10" scores ten times: four in individual competitions, and six in team events. All fifteen medals in rhythmic gymnastics were won by just four athletes: Bulgarians Anelia Ralenkova
Anelia Ralenkova
Anelia Ralenkova became one of Bulgaria's most distinctive rhythmic gymnasts. She is one of the so-called "Golden Girls" of Bulgaria. She won gold medals at both world and European championships, but missed competing at the Summer Olympics in 1984 due to the Soviet-led boycott...
and Diliana Gueorguieva, and Soviets Galina Beloglazova
Galina Beloglazova
Galina Beloglazova born June 10, 1967 Astrakhan, Soviet Union) is a Russian rhythmic gymnast. She was the 1984 European individual gold medalist in the all around for Rhythmic Gymnastics....
and Dalia Kutkaite.
Handball
East Germany won the men's event, thanks to a 18:17 win over the Soviet Union, while Poland came in third. Péter KovácsPéter Kovács (handballer)
Péter Kovács is a former Hungarian international handball player and handball coach, currently in charge by Békéscsabai Előre NKSE....
of Hungary was the top scorer with 26 goals. The USSR finished first in the women's tournament.
Judo
The Soviet Union again won most of the gold medals. The event was also particularly successful for Poland, which won seven medals.Modern pentathlon
Hungarian László Fábián won the individual competition, and Hungary also won the team event.Rowing
The USSR took 11 out of 14 gold medals, while East Germany captured the remaining three.Sailing
Sailing took place on the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, near Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonian SSR
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic , often abbreviated as Estonian SSR or ESSR, was a republic of the Soviet Union, administered by and subordinated to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, with the exception of 470 and Finn classes, which were contested on Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
in Hungary. Soviets and East Germans won all of the gold medals. Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
won their only Friendship Games medals.
Shooting
While most disciplines mimicked the Olympic Games in terms of events, women's shooting included non-Olympic competitions, namely the 10 metre air pistol and 50 metre rifle three positions50 metre rifle three positions
50 metre rifle three positions is an International Shooting Sport Federation event, a miniature version of 300 metre rifle three positions. It consists of the prone, standing and kneeling positions, fired in that order, with 3×40 shots for men and 3×20 shots for women...
events.
Swimming
Five new world records were set during the competition. Sergei ZabolotnovSergei Zabolotnov
Sergei Zabolotnov , born 11 August 1963, is a former backstroke swimmer from the USSR. In 1983, he set a European record in the 200 metre backstroke. The time of 2:00.42 was achieved on 4 July 1983 at Edmonton, Canada, when winning a gold medal whilst competing in the World University Games...
's result of 1:58.41 in men's 200 metre backstroke excited the crowd, as it was some one and a half seconds better than Rick Carey
Rick Carey
Richard John Carey is a former American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he won three gold medals. He broke nine world records, five individually, and also was a double world champion...
's result during the Olympics. Fifteen-year-old Sylvia Gerasch set the world record in women's 100 m breaststroke and was also part of the relay team that beat the 4 ×100 m medley record.
Table tennis
Table tennis, a non-Olympic sport at that time, was the only event hosted by North Korea, which won four out of seven gold medals. Notably, the People's Republic of ChinaPeople'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...
, which was at odds with most socialist states following the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
, took part in the event.
Tennis
Soviet players dominated the singles category, and also won the men's doubles event. The Czechoslovakian women's double team was the only non-Soviet team to win gold.Volleyball
Not surprisingly, the Soviet team finished first in the men's event, over Cuba and Poland. In women's tournament, Cuba won the final against the USSR.Water polo
The Soviet team – composed mostly of the players who won gold during the 1980 Summer Olympics – finished first, while Hungary and Cuba took the second and third spots.Weightlifting
Dominated by Bulgaria and the Soviet Union, the event saw thirty world records broken, including two in the super heavyweight category, set by Anatoly PisarenkoAnatoly Pisarenko
TotalTotalTotalTotalAnatoly Grigor'evich Pisarenko was an Olympic weightlifter for the USSR...
.
Wrestling
In addition to freestyleFreestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
and Greco-Roman
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
events, non-Olympic sambo
Sambo (martial art)
Sambo is a Russian martial art and combat sport. The word "SAMBO" is an acronym for SAMooborona Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defense without weapons". Sambo is relatively modern since its development began in the early 1920s by the Soviet Red Army to improve their hand to hand...
wrestling events were also contested. Sambo was the only event hosted by Mongolia.
Medal table
The following table is based on statistics from the books Na olimpijskim szlaku 1984 and Gwiazdy sportu '84 and does not include sambo wrestling results.| 1 |  Soviet Union |
126 | 87 | 69 | 282 |
| 2 |  German Democratic Republic |
50 | 45 | 43 | 138 |
| 3 |  Bulgaria |
21 | 25 | 29 | 75 |
| 4 |  Cuba |
15 | 11 | 12 | 38 |
| 5 |  Hungary |
10 | 17 | 24 | 51 |
| 6 |  Poland |
7 | 17 | 34 | 58 |
| 7 |  North Korea |
5 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| 8 |  Czechoslovakia |
2 | 18 | 28 | 48 |
| 9 |  People's Republic of China |
2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 10 |  Ethiopia |
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 11 |  West Germany |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 |  Italy |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 |  Japan |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 |  Mongolia |
0 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 15 |  Canada |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 |  Venezuela |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 17 |  Finland |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 |  Sweden |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 |  Zimbabwe |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 242 | 233 | 266 | 741 | |
Comparisons to the Olympic Games
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
frequently compared the results of 1984 Summer Olympics and the Friendship Games. Over sixty Friendship Games results would have secured medals at the Olympic games. East Bloc athletes outperformed Olympic winners in 20 of 41 track-and-field events and eleven of 29 swimming events. Had Li Yuwei
Li Yuwei
Li Yuwei is a male Chinese sports shooter. He won the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games in the 50 m Running Target.Yuwei attended university of Central China-Major performances:...
, who won the 1984 Olympic gold medal in 50 metre running target shooting, obtained the same score in the Friendship Games, he would have only placed sixth. Indeed, in events such as weightlifting or wrestling, the Friendship Games had almost all of the top athletes of the time.
However, some journalists noted that making such comparisons was unjustified, because of differing conditions and equipment. For example, Marlies Göhr
Marlies Göhr
Marlies Göhr is a former East German athlete, the winner of the 100 m at the inaugural World Championships in 1983. She ranked in the top 10 of the 100 m world rankings for twelve straight years, ranking first in six of those years...
's result of 10.95 in women's 100 metre run was slightly better than Evelyn Ashford
Evelyn Ashford
Evelyn Ashford is a retired American athlete, the 1984 Olympic champion in the 100 m. She has run under the 11 second barrier over 30 times and was the first to run under 11 seconds in an Olympic Games.As a 19-year-old, Ashford finished 5th in the 100 m event at the 1976 Summer Olympics...
's winning time of 10.97 at the 1984 Olympics, but when the two met head-to-head a week after the Friendship Games, Ashford was much faster than Göhr and set the new world record. Similarly, Eastern Bloc results in track cycling were better than Olympic results, but Friendship Games cyclists competed on an indoor wooden track, while the Olympic events took place on a outdoor concrete track. "It is like saying Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
was faster than Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
, Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
would have beaten Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
or Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
would have outrun Man o' War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
", Sam Lacy
Sam Lacy
Samuel Harold Lacy was a pioneering African-American and Native American sportswriter, reporter, columnist, editor, and TV/radio commentator who worked in the sports journalism field for parts of nine decades...
of the Afro-American concluded.
The comparisons also had political significance. While Friendship Games organizers repeatedly assured the press that their event was not an "alternative Olympics", presumably to avoid punitive IOC measures, Soviet state-run media often alluded to such comparisons. The TASS agency declared that the Eastern Bloc's games were a "major event in the Olympic year", while the Sovietsky Sport newspaper described the Games as the "main event of the Olympic quadrennium". Marat Gramov, head of the Soviet Olympic Committee, said that the "socialist nations remain faithful to the task of strengthening the unity of the Olympics movement", while describing the Los Angeles Games as full of "chauvinism and mass psychosis".
When asked about the Friendship Games, Monique Berlioux, then director of the IOC, said she had "no reaction whatsoever" to the competition.
Aftermath
In 2006, the Law and JusticeLaw and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
party in Poland proposed granting Friendship Games medalists sports retirement benefits similar to those given to Olympic medalists. The proposal was never voted upon.
Venues
Using the button, this table can be sorted by event name, starting date, or host country.| Event | Starting date | | Ending date | | Venue | | Location | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Archery at the Friendship Games Archery at the Friendship Games was held in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia between 23 and 26 August 1984. Two events were contested: men's individual and women's individual .Soviet Union won 5 out of 6 possible medals.... |
Plzeň | 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.... |
|||
| Athletics Athletics at the Friendship Games Athletics at the Friendship Games was contested in 41 events, 24 events by men and 17 by women. Men competed at the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union between 17 and 18 August, while women's events took place at the Evžen Rošický Stadium in Prague, Czechoslovakia... Men's events |
Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium Luzhniki Stadium The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. Its total seating capacity is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, previously called the Central Lenin Stadium... |
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... |
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.... |
||
| Athletics Athletics at the Friendship Games Athletics at the Friendship Games was contested in 41 events, 24 events by men and 17 by women. Men competed at the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union between 17 and 18 August, while women's events took place at the Evžen Rošický Stadium in Prague, Czechoslovakia... Women's events |
Evžen Rošický Stadium | Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... |
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.... |
||
| Basketball Basketball at the Friendship Games Basketball at the Friendship Games was contested between 22 and 30 August 1984. Two events took place at two venues in Moscow, Soviet Union – the CSKA Sports Palace and the Dynamo Sports Palace.... |
CSKA Sports Palace CSKA Universal Sports Hall Alexander Gomelsky CSKA Universal Sports Hall, formerly known as CSKA Palace of Sports, is an indoor sporting arena located in Moscow, Russia... and Dynamo Sports Palace Dynamo Sports Palace Dvorec Sporta Dinamo is an indoor sporting arena located in Moscow, Russia. The capacity of the arena is 5,000. It hosted the home games of MBC Dynamo Moscow until 2006. It was built during the preparations for the 1980 Summer Olympics, hosted by Moscow, USSR and was used as a venue of the... |
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... |
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.... |
||
| Boxing Boxing at the Friendship Games Boxing at the Friendship Games took place at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba. The boxing schedule began on 18 August and ended on 24 August 1984... |
Ciudad Deportiva | Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... |
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... |
||
| Canoeing Canoeing at the Friendship Games Canoeing at the Friendship Games took place in Grünau, East Berlin, East Germany between 21 and 22 July 1984. 12 events were contested.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:... |
Grünau Grünau (Berlin) Grünau is a German locality within the Berlin borough of Treptow-Köpenick. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Köpenick.-History:... , East Berlin East Berlin East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city... |
East Germany |
|||
| Cycling Cycling at the Friendship Games The cycling competition at the Friendship Games consisted of two road cycling and five track cycling events . The individual road race was held at the Schleizer Dreieck race track in Schleiz, East Germany on 23 August 1984, the team road race was held in Forst, East Germany on 26 August 1984, while... Road events |
Schleizer Dreieck | Schleiz Schleiz Schleiz is a town in the district of Saale-Orla-Kreis in Thuringia, Germany.- Location :Schleiz is in the Thuringian Vogtland area, an area of wooded hills on the borders of Thuringia, Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic... and Forst |
East Germany |
||
| Cycling Cycling at the Friendship Games The cycling competition at the Friendship Games consisted of two road cycling and five track cycling events . The individual road race was held at the Schleizer Dreieck race track in Schleiz, East Germany on 23 August 1984, the team road race was held in Forst, East Germany on 26 August 1984, while... Track events |
Velodrome of the Trade Unions Olympic Sports Centre | 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... |
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.... |
||
| Diving | Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
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... |
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| Equestrian Equestrian at the Friendship Games Equestrian events at the Friendship Games included show jumping, dressage and eventing in both individual and team competitions. Events were held on three venues in Poland: Jumping events were held in Sopot between 6 and 10 August, dressage – at the Książ Landscape Park near Wałbrzych between 17... |
Książ Landscape Park Ksiaz Landscape Park Książ Landscape Park is a protected area in south-western Poland, established in 1981, covering an area of... and the Modern Pentathlon and Equestrian Centre of the Lubusz Sports Club "Lumel" |
Drzonków Drzonków Drzonków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zielona Góra, within Zielona Góra County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Zielona Góra.... , Sopot Sopot Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000.... and Wałbrzych |
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... |
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| Fencing Fencing at the Friendship Games Fencing at the Friendship Games took place at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary between 15 and 21 July 1984. 8 events were contested.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:... |
Budapest Sportcsarnok Budapest Sportcsarnok Budapest Sportcsarnok was an indoor arena in Budapest, Hungary. It was primarily used for basketball, figure skating, volleyball and other indoor sporting events until it burned down on December 15, 1999. The arena had a seating capacity for 12,500 spectators and opened on 1982... |
Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
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... |
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| Field hockey Field hockey at the Friendship Games Field hockey at the Friendship Games was contested in two events. Men's event took place at the Minor Arena of the Central Dynamo Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union between 18 and 26 August 1984. Women's event took place in Poznań, Poland between 28 and 30 August 1984.-Men's event:Eight teams were... Men's event |
Minor Arena of the Central Dynamo Stadium | 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... |
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.... |
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| Field hockey Field hockey at the Friendship Games Field hockey at the Friendship Games was contested in two events. Men's event took place at the Minor Arena of the Central Dynamo Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union between 18 and 26 August 1984. Women's event took place in Poznań, Poland between 28 and 30 August 1984.-Men's event:Eight teams were... Women's event |
Poznań Poznan Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be... |
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... |
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| Gymnastics Gymnastics at the Friendship Games Gymnastics at the Friendship Games was contested in two disciplines. Artistic gymnastics was held in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia, between 20 and 26 August 1984, with 14 events... Artistic gymnastics |
Olomouc Olomouc Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic... |
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.... |
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| Gymnastics Gymnastics at the Friendship Games Gymnastics at the Friendship Games was contested in two disciplines. Artistic gymnastics was held in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia, between 20 and 26 August 1984, with 14 events... Rhythmic gymnastics |
Winter Sports Palace | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... |
Bulgaria |
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| Handball Handball at the Friendship Games Handball at the Friendship Games was contested in two events. Men's event took place in Rostock and Magdeburg, East Germany between 17 and 21 July 1984, with eight teams competing... Men's event |
Rostock Rostock Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders... and Magdeburg Magdeburg Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe.... |
East Germany |
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| Handball Handball at the Friendship Games Handball at the Friendship Games was contested in two events. Men's event took place in Rostock and Magdeburg, East Germany between 17 and 21 July 1984, with eight teams competing... Women's event |
Trenčín Trencín Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District... |
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.... |
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| Judo Judo at the Friendship Games Judo at the Friendship Games was held at the Military University of Technology sports hall in Warsaw, Poland between 24 and 26 August 1984. Judokas contested in eight events – seven weight classes and one open category.-Medal summary:... |
Military University of Technology Sports Hall | Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... |
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... |
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| Modern pentathlon | Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... |
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... |
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| Rowing Rowing at the Friendship Games Rowing at the Friendship Games took place at the Man-made Basin, located within the Trade Unions Olympic Sports Centre in Moscow, Soviet Union between 24 and 26 August 1984. 14 events were contested.-Men's events:-Women's events:... |
Man-made Basin at the Trade Unions Olympic Sports Centre | 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... |
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.... |
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| Sailing Sailing at the Friendship Games Sailing at the Friendship Games was contested in seven events. 470 and Finn classes took place at Lake Balaton, Hungary between 20 and 25 August 1984, while Flying Dutchman, Soling, Star, Tornado and Windglider classes were contested at Pirita Yachting Centre in Tallinn, Soviet Union between 19 and... 470, Finn classes |
Lake Balaton Lake Balaton Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"... |
Lake Balaton Lake Balaton Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"... |
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... |
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| Sailing Sailing at the Friendship Games Sailing at the Friendship Games was contested in seven events. 470 and Finn classes took place at Lake Balaton, Hungary between 20 and 25 August 1984, while Flying Dutchman, Soling, Star, Tornado and Windglider classes were contested at Pirita Yachting Centre in Tallinn, Soviet Union between 19 and... Flying Dutchmen, Soling, Star, Tornado, Windglider classes |
Pirita Yachting Centre | Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
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.... |
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| Shooting Shooting at the Friendship Games Shooting at the Friendship Games was contested at the Dynamo Shooting Range in Moscow, Soviet Union between 19 and 25 August 1984.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:... |
Dynamo Shooting Range | 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... |
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.... |
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| Swimming Swimming at the Friendship Games Swimming at the Friendship Games took place at the Swimming Pool at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex in Moscow, Soviet Union between 19 August and 25 August 1984. 29 events were contested.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Men's:... |
Swimming Pool at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex Swimming Pool at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex The Swimming Pool at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex is a covered swimming centre in Moscow, Russia. The venue, built for the 1980 Summer Olympics, makes up the Olimpiysky Sports Complex architectural ensemble together with the Olimpiysky Arena. During the Olympics, it hosted the swimming, diving,... |
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... |
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.... |
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| Table tennis Table tennis at the Friendship Games Table tennis at the Friendship Games took place in Pyongyang, North Korea between 7 and 20 July 1984. 7 events were contested.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Mixed:-Medal table:... |
Pyongyang Pyongyang Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was... |
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... |
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| Tennis Tennis at the Friendship Games Tennis at the Friendship Games took place at the Baildon Katowice courts in Katowice, Poland between 20 and 26 August 1984. 4 events were contested.-Men's events:-Singles semifinals and final:-Women's events:... |
Baildon Katowice courts | Katowice Katowice Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2... |
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... |
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| Volleyball Volleyball at the Friendship Games Volleyball at the Friendship Games was contested in two events. Men's event took place at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba between 18 and 26 August 1984... Men's event |
Ciudad Deportiva | Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... |
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... |
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| Volleyball Volleyball at the Friendship Games Volleyball at the Friendship Games was contested in two events. Men's event took place at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba between 18 and 26 August 1984... Women's event |
Varna Varna Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011... |
Bulgaria |
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| Water polo Water polo at the Friendship Games Water polo at the Friendship Games was contested at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba between 19 and 26 August 1984.-Medal summary:Six teams competed in a round-robin tournament.... |
Ciudad Deportiva | Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... |
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... |
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| Weightlifting Weightlifting at the Friendship Games Weightlifting at the Friendship Games was contested at the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria between 16 and 19 August 1984. 80 athletes competed in 10 events .World records were broken thirty times during the competition.... |
Palace of Culture and Sports Palace of Culture and Sports Palace of Culture and Sports is an indoor complex for culture and sport located in Varna, Bulgaria. The complex has three sports halls - "Kongresna Hall", "Mladost Hall" and "Hall 20"... |
Varna Varna Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011... |
Bulgaria |
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| Wrestling Wrestling at the Friendship Games Wrestling at the Friendship Games was contested in three disciplines: freestyle, Greco-Roman and sambo wrestling. Freestyle events took place at the Winter Sports Palace in Sofia, Bulgaria between 20 August and 22 August 1984... Freestyle |
Winter Sports Palace | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... |
Bulgaria |
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| Wrestling Wrestling at the Friendship Games Wrestling at the Friendship Games was contested in three disciplines: freestyle, Greco-Roman and sambo wrestling. Freestyle events took place at the Winter Sports Palace in Sofia, Bulgaria between 20 August and 22 August 1984... Greco-Roman |
Budapest Sportcsarnok Budapest Sportcsarnok Budapest Sportcsarnok was an indoor arena in Budapest, Hungary. It was primarily used for basketball, figure skating, volleyball and other indoor sporting events until it burned down on December 15, 1999. The arena had a seating capacity for 12,500 spectators and opened on 1982... |
Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
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... |
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| Wrestling Wrestling at the Friendship Games Wrestling at the Friendship Games was contested in three disciplines: freestyle, Greco-Roman and sambo wrestling. Freestyle events took place at the Winter Sports Palace in Sofia, Bulgaria between 20 August and 22 August 1984... Sambo |
Ulan Bator | Mongolia |
See also
- People's OlympiadPeople's OlympiadThe People's Olympiad was a planned international multi-sport event that was intended to take place in Barcelona, the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic...
– proposed alternative to the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, planned to be held in SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... - Liberty Bell ClassicOlympic Boycott GamesThe Liberty Bell Classic was an event held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1980 by 29 of the boycotting countries of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics as an alternative to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow...
– track and field athletics event for countries boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics1980 Summer OlympicsThe 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 Moscow. Held in Philadelphia, United States - Spartakiads
- Goodwill GamesGoodwill GamesThe Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
- Politics and sports