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na." Moreover, the Taiwanese
would not be permitted to fly their
national flag nor to play t heir
national anthem at the Games.
A heated controversy erupted.
The United States threatened to
pull its team out in protest. A com–
promise proposal was quickly
drawn up: Taiwan woul d be
allowed to fly its flag and use its
anthem, but it could not call itself
China. T hough Taiwa–
nese ath letes were al–
ready in Montreal, their
government refused the
terms and brought them
home.
No sooner had the Tai–
wan case been resolved
when 20 African nations,
pl us Guyana and l raq,
announced that they
would boycott the Mont–
real Games if New Zea–
land took part. Why?
Because a New Zealand
rugby team had toured
South Africa earlier that
year.
Olympic officials were
dumbfounded. Rugby
had not been an Olympic
sport since 1924 and con–
sequently the IOC had
no jurisdiction over it.
Besides, many rugby
players, other than New
Zealanders, were regular–
!
y playi ng games in
South Africa.
The IOC executive
board unani mously re–
jected the ultimatum.
The very day before the
nations boycotted the Moscow
Games, the largest such action in
Olympic history. Sixteen other
teams paraded under the Olympic
flag rather than their own as a ges–
ture of protest to their Soviet
hosts.
In his speech concluding the ill–
fated Games, retiring IOC Presi–
dent Lord Killanin made the fol–
lowing appeal: " [ implore the
remarked in the opening ceremo–
nies:
"We are convinced that once
again we will demonstrate to the
whole world the meaning of sport
as an illustration of friendship and
fratern ity."
Observers in Sarajevo, however,
were quick to notice the visible
lack
of fraternity. Tight secur ity
kept athletes from the various
countries from mixing
freely.
And now the Olympic
spectacle moves on to Los
Angeles. All year contro–
versies have been building
up . And real tro u ble
usually erupts on the very
eve of the opening cere–
monies, maximizing the
amount of disruption.
Sov iet authorities ,
even before their deci–
sion, had voiced concern.
Annoying to the Soviet
delegation was the
avowed attempt by one
group to encourage ath–
letes from Communist
countries to defect to the
West. Said the group's
leader: "We want 50 (de–
fectors] from the Eastern
bloc, but we'll be satis–
fied with five to ten."
The Soviets will certainly
weigh such threats.
Games were to begin, the
22 dissenting countries
withdrew their 441 ath–
Standard bearer
~or
Afghanistan marches during opening
ceremonies of 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Soviet
intenention in Afghanistan resulted in widespread boycott.
letes. The crowds in
Montreal's new Olympic Stadium
were denied the pleasure of seeing
sorne of the finest runners m the
world.
South Africa is once
again at the center of
controversy on two
counts. First, there exists
the possibility of a last–
minute mass boycott by
African nations. 1n a case
reminiscent of the 1976
MontreaJ disruption, the
Games may be disturbed
1980- the Big Boycott
The Soviet Union spent an incredi–
ble sum of money in preparing for
the Moscow Summer Games of
1980. Had the Soviet organizers
known what was to follow, they
could have saved sorne money.
Because Soviet troops had entered
Afghanistan in December 1979,
the United States and 61 other
July / August 1984
sportsmen of the world to unite in
peace before a holocaust de–
scends. . . . The Olympic Games
must not be used for political pur–
poses.... The Olympic Games are
for the benefit of our children ."
Another appeal to the deaf?
Sarajevo and Los Angeles
Early this year the smaller Winter
Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugo–
slavia, passed, as they usually do,
without incident. As an encourage–
ment to the 1,437 athletes from 49
nations, IOC President Samaranch
over the scheduled tour of another
rugby team to South Africa, this
time from England.
T hen there is the case of Zola
Budd. She is a remarkably gifted
17-year-old barefooted runner , at
84 pounds a sinewy wisp of a girl.
She is the world's fastest woman at
the 5, 000 meters. Her record
doesn't count, however, because
times of South African athletes,
whether they be black or white, are
not recognized internationally.
Because her paternal grandfather
was British, Zola has been able to
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