Olympic boycott

An Olympic boycott is the refusal by a country or group to participate in an Olympic Games for political or other reasons.

1980 Summer Olympics boycott: A boycott led by the United States in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Its scale and Cold War setting made it the most prominent modern Olympic boycott.
National Olympic Committee: A national organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee to organize Olympic participation. These committees usually decide whether a country's delegation enters the Games.
Olympic Games: An international multi-sport event held in summer and winter editions under the Olympic Movement. Boycotts act on the Games' global visibility and their claim to bring nations together.
Olympic athlete: An athlete who competes in the Olympic Games as part of a national delegation or under an approved status. Athletes bear the direct cost when political decisions prevent their participation.
1984 Summer Olympics boycott: A Soviet-led boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics, announced after the United States boycotted Moscow in 1980. It showed how the 1980 boycott prompted a reciprocal withdrawal four years later.
International Olympic Committee: The nongovernmental organization that governs the Olympic Movement and selects host cities. Its rules and diplomatic choices shape the options available during boycott disputes.
Olympic Movement: The international network of organizations, athletes, and other participants guided by the Olympic Charter. The movement developed institutions and ideals that boycotts challenge or invoke.
Olympic medal table: A ranking of participating nations by medals won at an edition of the Olympic Games. Absent teams can change both the field of competition and the meaning of medal counts.
1976 Summer Olympics boycott: A boycott by more than twenty African nations over New Zealand's sporting ties with apartheid South Africa. It centered on opposition to apartheid rather than superpower rivalry.
Olympic Charter: The codification of the fundamental principles, rules, and bylaws of the Olympic Movement. The Charter sets the framework within which Olympic participation and political neutrality are contested.

Linked from 19 pages