U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States was boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. Despite Carter's efforts to recruit allies, several key nations, including Britain and France, did not join the boycott. In the end, 65 nations skipped the games.
In retaliation for the American-led boycott, the Soviet Union and 14 of its allies boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The boycott's effectiveness remains debated among historians. The Soviet Union did not withdraw from Afghanistan until 1989, and some feel the action harmed athletes more than it influenced Soviet policy. In a 2025 AP News article, President Carter reflected on the boycott, stating he considered it "a bad decision".
