1980 Opening of the Moscow Olympics

35 years ago, on July 19, 1980, the XXII Summer Olympic Games opened in Moscow. Athletes from 65 countries, including the United States, Canada, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Germany and China, boycotted the Moscow Olympics because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Some athletes from Great Britain, France and Greece came to the Games individually with the permission of their Olympic committees, but the teams from Great Britain and France were much smaller than usual. In the absence of strong competitors in most sports (except for the athletes of the GDR), the USSR confidently took first place in the team event, winning 80 gold, 69 silver and 46 bronze medals. The GDR Olympians, who took second place, won 47 gold, 37 silver and 42 bronze medals, while the Bulgarian Olympians, who were in third place, were content with 8 gold, 16 silver and 17 bronze medals.