The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. Another candidate in the bid to organize the Olympics was Los Angeles. The choice between them was made on October 23, 1974 on the 75th IOC session. Moscow defeated Los Angeles by 39 votes to 20.
The yachting events were held in Tallinn; preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football (soccer) tournament were held, besides Moscow, at the stadiums of Leningrad, Kiev, and Minsk.
Highlights
- Although approximately half of the 24 countries which boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics participated in these, the Games were disrupted by another, even larger, boycott led by the United States followed by 64 other countries in protest at the 1979 Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Eighty nations did participate - the lowest number since 1956.
- Major broadcasters of the Games were USSR State TV and Radio, Eurovision and Intervision. NBC, which was thought to be another major one, cancelled its coverage in response to the U.S.-boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, and became a minor broadcaster as the network did air highlights and recaps of the games on a regular basis. In Mexico, Televisa provided full coverage of the games as did Canada's CTV.
- According to the Official Report, submitted to the IOC by the NOC of the USSR, total expenditures for the preparations for and staging of the Games were 862.7 million rubles, total revenues being 744.8 million roubles.
- A series of commemorative coins were released in the USSR in 1977-1980 to commemorate the event. It consisted of five platinum coins, six gold coins, 28 silver coins and six copper-nickel coins.
- Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin won a medal in each of the eight gymnastics events, including three titles.
- Vladimir Salnikov (USSR) won three gold medals in the swimming pool. His time in the 1500 metre freestyle was the first below 15 minutes.
- Belarusian Uladzimir Parfianovich of the USSR won 3 gold medals in canoeing.
- Soviet sailor Valentyn Mankin won a gold medal in "Star" class. He won Olympic champion titles in "Finn" and "Tempest" classes before, and as of 2005 remains the only sailor in Olympic history to win gold medals in three different classes.
- Ethiopian Muruse Yefter won the 5000 metre and 10000 metre athletics double, emulating Lasse Viren's 1976 performance.
- Waldemar Cierpinski of East Germany won his second consecutive marathon gold.
- Women's field hockey was an Olympic sport for the first time. Six countries competed: Austria, India, Poland, Czechoslovakia, USSR, Zimbabwe. The gold medal was won by the team of Zimbabwe.
- East Germany dominated rowing, winning eleven of the fourteen titles.
- Teófilo Stevenson of Cuba became the first boxer to win three consecutive Olympic titles.
Medals awarded
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
Medal count
(
host nation in bold.)
Nations
Articles about Moscow Summer Olympics by nation:
See also
Olympics with significant boycotts
External links
1980 Summer Olympics
XXII. Olimpijske igre - Moskva 1980. | Sommer-OL 1980 | Olympische Sommerspiele 1980 | 1980. aasta suveolümpiamängud | Juegos Olímpicos de Moscú 1980 | Jeux Olympiques d'été de 1980 | 1980년 하계 올림픽 | XXII. Olimpijske igre - Moskva 1980. | Olimpiade Moskwa 1980 | XXII Olimpiade | אולימפיאדת מוסקבה (1980) | Olympische Zomerspelen 1980 | モスクワオリンピック | Sommer-OL 1980 | Sommar-OL 1980 | Letnie Igrzyska Olimpijskie 1980 | Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 1980 | Jocurile Olimpice de vară din 1980 | Летние Олимпийские игры 1980 | Poletne olimpijske igre 1980 | Olimpijada 1980 | 1980 kesäolympialaiset | Olympiska sommarspelen 1980 | 1980年夏季奥林匹克运动会