Sports: A Weapon During The Cold War

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Sports A Weapon During The Cold War

• By Anna Bryson and Michelle Goddard

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Overview

• Olympics Games were created to support peace
• During the Cold War
• Sports were used as a weapon of international
  affairs
• The Olympics the chance to display superiority
  through their athletes
• Attempt to manipulate international politics

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Growing tensions through sports

• 1972 Munich games The Americans lost the gold
  medal in basketball for the first time during the
  Cold War to the U.S.S.R
• After confusion over the time left on the clock,
  the Soviets were able to replay the final 5
  seconds and beat the U.S. 51-50.
• Needless to say, the U.S. was pissed

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Use of Performance Enhancers and Cheating

• The U.S. and U.S.S.R. were desperate to outdo
  each other in every aspect during the Cold War
  and would stop at nothing
• Both were accused of poor sportsmanship and use
  of performance enhancers in sporting events

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1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics

• Soviets had won every Winter Olympic ice hockey
  tournament since 1960
• They were well seasoned and had been playing
  together for many years
• U.S. team was composed of college students with
  little history of playing together
• The U.S. amazed everyone and reached the final
  game

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Miracle on Ice U.S. vs. U.S.S.R

• Regarded as the greatest moment in the history of
  American sports
• The amateur U.S. team defeated the highly favored
  U.S.S.R. 4-3

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1980 Moscow Summer Olympics

• USA boycotted these events
• President Jimmy Carter said the boycott was
  because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
• "I pointed out ... that continued aggressive
  actions by the Soviets would endanger the
  participation of athletes and travel to Moscow by
  spectators." President Jimmy Carter
• Change of venue proposal
• Revoking of passports

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• "At the time, I was really angry, but ... looking
  back, it beats sending 18-year-olds over there
  with guns. It was something Carter could do.
  Dick Buerkle, a U.S. long distance runner who had
  qualified for the Olympics

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Everyone Join In

• USA made efforts to persuade its allies to
  boycott the event as well
• In the end, about 60 teams boycotted the Moscow
  Olympics
• The U.S.S.R. won 80 gold medals, 195 medals in
  all, in what critics called the most lopsided
  Olympics since 1904

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1980 Summer Olympics medal count 1980 Summer Olympics medal count 1980 Summer Olympics medal count 1980 Summer Olympics medal count 1980 Summer Olympics medal count        
Pos Country          Total
1     USSR 80 69 46 195
2     East Germany (GDR) 47 37 42 126
3     Bulgaria 8 16 17 41
4     Cuba 8 7 5 20
5     Italy 8 3 4 15
6     Hungary 7 10 15 32
7     Romania 6 6 13 25
8     France 6 5 3 14
9     Great Britain 5 7 9 21
10     Poland 3 14 15 32
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1984 Los Angeles Olympics

• Soviet Union boycotted these events
• Desire to retaliate against the U.S.s boycott on
  the Moscow Olympics
• 14 other communist nations didnt attend
• More participating nations than any previous
  Olympics

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1984 Summer Olympics medal count 1984 Summer Olympics medal count 1984 Summer Olympics medal count 1984 Summer Olympics medal count 1984 Summer Olympics medal count        
Pos Country          Total
1     United States 83 61 30 174
2     Romania 20 16 17 53
3     West Germany (FRG) 17 19 23 59
4     China 15 8 9 32
5     Italy 14 6 12 32
6     Canada 10 18 16 44
7     Japan 10 8 14 32
8     New Zealand 8 1 2 11
9     Yugoslavia 7 4 7 18
10     South Korea 6 6 7 19
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