Table of Contents In this book you will read about the 1980 U S Olympic boycott from three perspectives Each perspective is based on real things that happened to real people who were involved in or experienced the boycott As you’ll see the same event can look different depending on one’s point of view Chapter 1 4 Vladimir Pilkov Soviet Swimmer Chapter 2 1 2 Richard Krantz USOC Member Chapter 3 2 0 Emily Robertson U S Field Hockey Player Look Look Again 30 Glossary 3 1 Learn More 3 1 Index 32 About the Author 32
4 1 Today January 20 1980 U S President Jimmy Carter gave an ultimatum He demanded that our Soviet military leave Afghanistan by February 20 If we don’t the U S team will boycott the Summer Olympics here in Moscow I understand the final decision to boycott will come from the United States Olympic Committee USOC It is the organization Vladimir Pilkov Soviet Swimmer
5 that makes decisions for the United States about participation in the Olympics But I cannot imagine the USOC would go against the will of the president And our government does not give in to threats So it seems certain the Americans will stay home I follow politics quite closely On December 24 1979 Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan Our leaders told us that it was to help the new Communist government there But I don’t fully believe that Our government runs the media So we usually don’t get the full story I believe we invaded the country to match the U S presence in nearby Pakistan Our country also wants to get valuable oil in the Persian Gulf The invasion of Afghanistan has increased the tension between my country and the United States The two countries have been battling to secure political and economic influence in the world since the end of World War II in 1945 My country has tried to convert other countries to Communism The Americans
