Olympic Boycotts: Always Tricky.

OLYMPIC Games; BOYCOTTS; OLYMPIC Games (29th : 2008 : Beijing, China); OLYMPIC Games (11th : 1936 : Berlin, Germany); NAZIS; SOVIET occupation of Afghanistan, 1979-1989

BEIJING (China); BERLIN (Germany); GERMANYReport Available; AFGHANISTANReport Available; CHINAReport Available

In this article the author examines the history of boycotts of the Olympic Games. The article was written in response to significant criticism that was directed at the government of China, the host nation for the 2008 Olympics. Discussed are the events which led to the proposed, but unsuccessful, boycott of the 1936 Olympics held in Nazi-controlled Germany. Also examined is the U.S. non-participation in the 1980 Moscow games, a protest over the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan and Russia's retaliatory boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles, California, event.