1980 Summer Olympics

The Games of the XXII Olympiad were held in 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union. Another candidate in the bid to organise the Olympics was Los Angeles. The choice between them was made on October 23, 1974 on the 75th IOC session. Moscow defeated Los Angeles 39 votes to 20.

Highlights

• Although approximately half of the countries which boycotted 1976 Summer Olympics participated in these, the Games were disrupted by another, even larger, boycott led by the United States followed by 60 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, canceled its coverage in response to the U.S.-boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, and became a minor broadcaster - the network did air highlights and recaps of the games on a regular basis.
• 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 roubles, total revenues being 744.8 million roubles.
• Soviet gymnast Aleksandr 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 m freestyle was the first below 15 minutes.
• Belarusian Uladzimir Parfianovich of the USSR won 3 gold medals in canoeing.
• Ethiopian Muruse Yefter won the 5000 m and 10000 m 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 in it: Austria, India, Poland, Czechoslovakia, USSR, Zimbabwe. The gold medal was won by the team of Zimbabwe.
• East Germany dominated rowing: they won eleven of the fourteen available titles.
• Teófilo Stevenson of Cuba became the first boxer to win three consecutive Olympic titles.