The olympic spirit in the early 1980's
From Olympic Boycotts to a Direct Conflict Between the Two Superpowers
Keywords:
sports, politics, cold war, olympic spirit, olympic movement, boycottsAbstract
The author focuses on the events related to the Olympic Games in the beginning of 1980. The newspapers of the time depict the ongoing two-way struggle between the two superpowers of the Cold War. The first "battle" was waged by Carter through his appeal to boycott the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow due to the Soviet armed intervention in Afghanistan - a boycott which was also carried out. The second major "sports battle" was waged at the time of the Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, where a hockey duel for the gold between the Soviet Union and the USA attracted massive attention amongst the public. Yet despite the numerous attempts to abuse the finals, the hockey game was nevertheless played in a sporting spirit. The article also reveals how the politics implemented in the Cold War period attempted on several other occasions to take advantage of sports.
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