1984 Olympics Boycott: 7 Cold War Shocks From May 8
The 1984 Olympics boycott began on May 8, 1984, when the Soviet Union announced it would skip the Los Angeles Summer Games — a Cold War retaliation that pulled fifteen Eastern Bloc nations and four allies out of competition just eleven weeks before the opening ceremony. The walkout was the largest Olympic boycott since 1980, when the United States led 65 nations away from Moscow over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Four years later, Moscow returned the favor, and the Coliseum in Los Angeles became a Cold War stage with no Soviets on it.
For Gen X, this was the summer the Soviets stayed home, McDonald’s gave away free food every time an American won gold, and Mary Lou Retton became the most famous gymnast in the country. But the absence of the USSR cast a long shadow. Here is the full story of the boycott, the politics behind it, and the games that went on without the world’s reigning sports superpower.
Why the Soviet Union Walked Away From the 1984 Olympics
The Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Olympics for one reason it stated and one reason everyone knew. The official explanation, delivered by the Soviet National Olympic Committee on May 8, came wrapped in language about athlete safety, “anti-Soviet hysteria,” and “chauvinistic sentiments” inside the United States. The committee claimed Soviet athletes would face protests and possible physical attacks if they competed in Los Angeles. The real reason was retaliation.
