The boycott, a result of the December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet troops, was announced by President Jimmy Carter on January 20th, 1980. A February 20th deadline was given to the Soviets to pull out of the country or else the United States would refuse to participate in the Summer Games and would request that other countries do the same.

Needless to say, a huge controversy erupted. The Soviet Union justified its invasion as being "the correct response to a neighbor's call for help." U.S. athletes opposed the boycott (big shock, eh?) because they felt that the boycott was only hurting them and believed it would have little to no effect on Soviet policies.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that the Games should not be concerned with politics and looked down upon the United States' actions. Nevertheless, the U.S. stood firmly by its decision and did not participate. Canada, Japan, China and West Germany also joined in boycotting the Summer Games.

Highlights included the Soviets earning 197 medals (including 80 gold) and new world records being set in the high jump (Gerd Wessig of East Germany), the pole vault (Poland's Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz), and the hammer throw (Yuri Sedykh of the Soviet Union).

Basketball
Team, men: Yugoslavia
Team, women: U.S.S.R.

Boxing
Light Flyweight: Shamil Sabyrov, U.S.S.R.
Flyweight: Petar Lessov, Bulgaria
Bantamweight: Juan Hernandezm Cuba
Featherweight: Rudi Fink, East Germany
Lightweight: Angel Herrera, Cuba
Light Welterweight: Patrizio Oliva, Italy
Welterweight: Andres Aldama, Cuba
Light Middleweight: Armando Martinez, Cuba
Middleweight: Jose Gomez, Cuba
Light Heavyweight: Slobodan Kacar, Yugoslavia
Heavyweight: Teofilo Stevenson, Cuba

Canoeing, Men
500-m Kayak Singles: Vladimir Parfenovich, U.S.S.R.
500-m Kayak Doubles: U.S.S.R.
1,000-m Kayak Singles: Rudiger Helm, East Germany
1,000-m Kayak Doubles: U.S.S.R.
1,000-m Kayak Fours: East Germany
500-m Canoe Singles: Sergei Pestrekhin, U.S.S.R.
500-m Canoe Doubles: Hungary
1,000-m Canoe Singles: Lubomir Lubenov, Bulgaria
1,000-m Canoe Doubles: Rumania

Canoeing, Women
500-m Kayak Singles: Birgit Fischer, East Germany
500-m Kayak Doubles: East Germany

Cycling
Road Race: Sergei Soukhoroutchenkov, U.S.S.R.
Team Road Race: U.S.S.R.
Pursuit: Robert Dill-Bundi, Switzerland
Team Pursuit: U.S.S.R.
Sprint: Lutz Hesslich, East Germany
1,000-m Time Trial: Lothar Thomas, East Germany

Equestrian
3-Day Event: Frederico Euro Roman, Italy
Team 3-Day Event: U.S.S.R.
Dressage: Elisabeth Theurer, Austria
Team Dressage: U.S.S.R.
Jumping: Jan Kowalczyk, Poland
Team Jumping: U.S.S.R.

Fencing, Men
Epee: Johan Harmenberg, Sweden
Team Epee: France
Foil: Vladimir Smirnov, U.S.S.R.
Team Foil: France
Saber: Viktor Krovopuskov, U.S.S.R.
Team Saber: U.S.S.R.

Fencing, Women
Foil: Pascale Trinquet, France
Team Foil: France

Field Hockey
Team, men: India
Team, women: Zimbabwe

Gymnastics, Men
All-Around: Alexander Dityatin, U.S.S.R.
Team: U.S.S.R.
Floor Exercises: Roland Bruckner, East Germany
Horizontal Bar: Stoyan Deltchev, Bulgaria
Long Horse Vault: Nikolai Andrianov, U.S.S.R.
Parallel Bars: Alexander Tkachyov, U.S.S.R.
Rings: Alexander Dityatin, U.S.S.R.
Side Horse: Zoltan Magyar, Hungary

Gymnastics, Women
All-Around: Yelenda Davydova, U.S.S.R.
Team: U.S.S.R.
Balance Beam: Nadia Comaneci, Rumania
Floor Exercises: Nelli Kim, U.S.S.R., and

Soccer
Team: Czechoslovakia

Swimming and Diving, Men
100-m Backstroke: Bengt Baron, Sweden
200-m Backstroke: Sandor Wladar, Hungary
100-m Breaststroke: Duncan Goodhew, Britain
200-m Breaststroke: Robertas Zulpa, U.S.S.R.
100-m Butterfly: Par Arvidsson, Sweden
200-m Butterfly: Sergei Fesenko, U.S.S.R.
100-m Freestyle: Jorg Woithe, East Germany
200-m Freestyle: Sergei Kopliakov, U.S.S.R.
400-m Freestyle: Vladimir Salnikov, U.S.S.R.
800-m Freestyle Relay: U.S.S.R.
1,500-m Freestyle: Vladimir Salnikov, U.S.S.R.
400-m Medley: Alexander Sidorenko, U.S.S.R.
400-m Medley Relay: Australia
Platform Diving: Falk Hoffmann, East Germany
Springboard Diving: Alexander Portnov, U.S.S.R.

Swimming and Diving, Women
100-m Backstroke: Rica Reinisch, East Germany
200-m Backstroke: Rica Reinisch, East Germany
100-m Breaststroke: Ute Geweniger, East Germany
200-m Breaststroke: Lina Kachushite, U.S.S.R.
100-m Butterfly: Caren Metschuck, East Germany
200-m Butterfly: Ines Geissler, East Germany
100-m Freestyle: Barbara Krause, East Germany
200-m Freestyle: Barbara Krause, East Germany
400-m Freestyle: Ines Diers, East Germany
400-m Freestyle Relay: East Germany
800-m Freestyle: Michelle Ford, Australia
400-m Medley: Petra Schneider, East Germany
400-m Medley Relay: East Germany
Platform Diving: Martina Jaschke, East Germany
Springboard Diving: Irina Kalinina, U.S.S.R.

Track and Field, Men
100-m Dash: Allan Wells, Britain
200-m Dash: Pietro Mennea, Italy
400-m Run: Viktor Markin, U.S.S.R.
400-m Relay: U.S.S.R.
800-m Run: Steve Ovett, Britain
1,500-m Run: Sebastian Coe, Britain
1,600-m Relay: U.S.S.R.
5,000-m Run: Miruts Yifter, Ethipoia
10,000-m Run: Miruts Yifter, Ethipoia
20-km Walk: Maurizio Damilano, Italy
50-km Walk: Hartwig Gauder, East Germany
110-m Hurdles: Thomas Munkelt, East Germany
400-m Hurdles: Volker Beck, East Germany
3,000-m Steeplechase: Bronislaw Malinowski, Poland
Marathon: Waldemar Cierpinski, East Germany
Discus Throw: Viktor Raschchupkin, U.S.S.R.
Hammer Throw: Yuri Sedykh, U.S.S.R.
High Jump: Gerd Wessig, East Germany
Javelin Throw: Dainis Kula, U.S.S.R.
Long Jump: Lutz Dombrowski, East Germany
Pole Vault: Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz, Poland
Shot Put: Vladimir Kiselyov, U.S.S.R.
Triple Jump: Jaak Uudmae, U.S.S.R.
Decathlon: Daley Thompson, Britain

Track and Field, Women
100-m Dash: Lyudmila Kondratyeva, U.S.S.R.
200-m Dash: Baerbel Wockel, East Germany
400-m Run: Marita Koch, East Germany
400-m Relay: East Germany
800-m Run: Nadyezhda Olizarenko, U.S.S.R.
1,500-m Run: Tatyana Kazankina, U.S.S.R.
1,600-m Relay: U.S.S.R.
100-m Hurdles: Vera Komisova, U.S.S.R.
Discus Throw: Evelin Jahl, East Germany
High Jump: Sara Simeoni, Italy
Javelin Throw: Maria Colon, Cuba
Long Jump: Tatyana Kolpakova, U.S.S.R.
Shot Put: Ilona Slupianek, East Germany
Pentathlon: Nadyezhda Tkachenko, U.S.S.R.

Volleyball
Team, men: U.S.S.R.
Team, women: U.S.S.R.

Water Polo
Team: U.S.S.R.

Weight Lifting
Flyweight: Kanibek Osmanoliev, U.S.S.R.
Bantamweight: Daniel Nunez, Cuba
Featherweight: Viktor Mazin, U.S.S.R.
Lightweight: Yanko Roussev, Bulgaria
Middleweight: Assen Zlatev, Bulgaria
Light Heavyweight: Yurik Vardanyan, U.S.S.R.
Middle heavyweight: Peter Baczako, Hungary
Heavyweight: Ota Zaremba, Czechoslovakia
Second Heavyweight: Leonid Taranenko, U.S.S.R.
Super Heavyweight: Sultan Rakhmanov, U.S.S.R.

Wrestling, Freestyle
Paperweight: Claudio Pollio, Italy
Flyweight: Anatoly Beloglazov, U.S.S.R.
Bantamweight: Sergei Beloglazok, U.S.S.R.
Featherweight: Stilianos Migiakis, Greece
Lightweight: Stefan Rusu, Rumania
Welterweight: Ference Kocsis, Hungary
Middleweight: Gennady Korban, U.S.S.R.
Light Heavyweight: Norbert Nottny, Hungary
Heavyweight: Gheorghi Raikov, Bulgaria
Super Heavyweight: Alexander Kolchinski, U.S.S.R.

Yachting
Finn: Finland
Flying Dutchman: Spain
470 Class: Brazil
Soling: Denmark
Star: U.S.S.R.
Tornado: Brazil