Olympia – During the Cold War, the Olympic boycott proved itself as a political tool

Moscow 1980

The first Olympic Games in a Warsaw Pact country were also the ones with the longest list of boycotting nations. 65 National Olympic Committees (out of 148) joined the United States, which prevented athletes from participating in the protest before the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979/80. The Carter administration put tremendous pressure on the National Olympic Committees, but also on the American athletic and athletic federations. Switzerland began under the Olympic flag.

Melbourne 1956

The year 1956 witnessed enormous political crises. Great Britain and France did not want to accept the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egyptian President Nasser. Israel should help oust Nasser. The United States and the Soviet Union halted the military advance. Later the Red Army ended the uprising in Hungary in a bloody fashion. Holland, Spain and Switzerland boycotted the Soviet Union. Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq because of Israel. After 1956, the sports boycott proved a means of political pressure.

Los Angeles 1984

The Soviet Union retaliated against the US boycott in 1980. Among the Warsaw Pact countries, only Romania participated. A total of 13 countries joined the Soviets.

Montreal 1976

22 African countries did not come because New Zealand, which played rugby against apartheid in South Africa, was not left out.

Berlin 1936

The United States was contemplating a boycott of Hitler’s racial policy. Subsequent International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage as president of the Norwegian Krone prevented this