Cold war olympic games

The Soviets and their allies held up sporting successes as a validation of their political systems. Barely a decade later, the Soviet Union would be a thing of the past as it fractured into 15 newly independent countries.

To this day, many older Russians remember the Olympics with pride as a time when their country proved it could host a prestigious international event, even with Western nations trying to spoil the party. A generation of Russian children loved Misha, the cuddly bear mascot. His farewell at the closing ceremony, flying away clutching a bunch of balloons, was referenced in the Winter Olympics in Sochi when a new Russian bear mascot shed a tear and blew out the Olympic flame.

With the U. They finished with total medals, more than any country at any Olympic Games before or since, ahead of East Germany with Britain's 21 medals were the most for any non-Communist country.

Swimmer Vladimir Salnikov churned up the pool with three gold medals and a world record, while gymnast Alexander Dityatin won a medal in eight events, an Olympic record matched only by U. It was hard for ordinary Soviet citizens to watch the Olympics, though. Travel to Moscow from other cities was restricted during the Games and locals were warned to limit social contact with people from non-Communist countries.

East Germany's medal haul was vast for a country of barely 16 million people. After the Berlin Wall fell in , Germany was reunified and the East's vast state-run doping program was revealed. Heading into , few had Scottish sprinter Allan Wells down as the favorite to win meter gold. He did it anyway. Eastern Standard Time on February 20, After the deadline passed and the Soviet-Afghan War continued unabated, Carter confirmed the boycott of the Games on March The United Kingdom, France and Greece supported the boycott but allowed their athletes to participate if they wished.

The United Kingdom and France sent a much smaller delegation of athletes than usual. However, the UK delegation was the largest from Western Europe, with athletes applying to compete. Those athletes attending from boycott nations were joined by those from fully participating countries in marching under the Olympic flag, and not their own at the opening and closing ceremony in support of the Games and not the political maneuvers that had drastically affected a number of events.

During the closing ceremony, the traditional unfurling of the flag of the next Olympic host nation, in this case the United States, was adapted. Instead of the Stars and Stripes, the flag of Los Angeles, the next host city, was used.

The Olympic anthem was also played at medal ceremonies in favor of the national anthems of winning athletes from boycott nations. As a result, the Olympic flag and anthem were used on a number of occasions.

Despite the disruptions to many events and the fact that only81 nations participated, more world records were set in Moscow than in the previous Games in Montreal in Iran and Libya also boycotted for different reasons than revenge for the Moscow boycott. The Soviets stated that their decision not to attend came from security concerns and "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States.

Just as the US-led boycott nations had done in , those refusing to take part in the Games held their own. International sport needs the interest and support of politicians, but not their interference. Politicians, on the other hand, appreciate that sport has a political dimension, and exploit this when they can. Both sides in the Cold War engaged in the most extraordinary stratagems, mostly unscrupulous, many akin to schoolboys' japes, and all sanctified by state necessity.

The Olympics provide splendid examples of the use made of sport by politicians in this period.