1984 Summer Olympics boycott

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The Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, United States followed the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

It caused 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies including the Soviet Union, Cuba and East Germany (but not Romania) to boycott these Olympics. The USSR announced its intention not to participate on May 8, 1984, citing security concerns and stating, that "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States"^[1], but some saw it as revenge for the boycott of the Moscow Games. Among them subscribing in the revenge hypothesis was Peter Ueberroth, who was the chief organizer of the Games, in a press conference after the boycott was announced. Iran was the only country not to attend both Moscow and Los Angeles.

The boycott influenced a large number of Olympic events that were normally dominated by the absent countries. Boycotting countries organized another major event in July-August 1984, called the Friendship Games.

For differing reasons, Iran and Libya also boycotted.

The boycott was announced on the same day that the Olympic Torch Relay through the United States began in New York City.