The Australian Olympic Team that competed at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, despite a US-led boycott, was recently formally recognized by the Australian Parliament for their participation 45 years after the event.
To some this seemed a strange occurence as these athletes competed in defiance of the Government of the day.
In fact this was actually acknowledged. They were today hailed ‘for having the courage to defy public pressure’ and the government’s call for a boycott due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
One wonders whether other athletes who have made political protests against Government positions will also be hailed in the future? Also whetherthere will be apologies made for any sanctions they suffered as a result of those protests.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) organized a ceremony in Canberra, attended by many of the athletes who competed in Moscow, and the ceremony was promoted as being a belated “welcome home.”
It was reported that “The Australian Parliament officially recognized the athletes and officials who competed in Moscow, acknowledging their resilience and the intense pressure they faced.”
Some of those athletes attending the ceremony talked about how they received a hostile reception on their return from Moscow, and some were labelled traitors for attending the Games.
One key thing that they can take with them is that they are Olympians. They did attend and Olympic Games.
These were very different times. In 1980 the Olympic Games were still regarded as being Amateur. The first professiional Olympic Games not coming around until Barcelona in 1992. So many of the athletes who had worked so hard in their spare time, while holding down regular jobs understandably took the position that after all this work and sacrifice they were going to fulfil their lifelong dream and compete. How many if they were in the same position would have done the same?
It is importnat to remember there was very little in terms of Giovernment funding in this era. Also an Olympic medal had more value in terms of an athlete’s marketability than it does today. Part of this was down to there being less Olympic medals up for grabs. By comparison in Moscow in 1980 there were 78 medals to be won in Swimming. In Paris in 2024 there were 111.
In Paris there were 10,714 athletes competing in 329 events in 32 sports. Moscow was greatly affected by the boycott as was Los Angeles in 1984 when the Soviet Bloc boycotted the United States event. So if we compare Paris to the last of the amateur Olympiads in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea, where there were 8453 athletes competing in 237 events in 23 sports one can see just how many more medals are now available. In Paris there were almost 100 more events. The more medals that are won, while still extremely special, their commercial value to companies looking to use athletes for marketing purposes is greatly reduced.
While it was good to see that the AOC pushed for recognition for these athletes one feels that their campaign was misguided.
The individuals that they have failed to acknowledge are the ones who were due to participate in team sports but did not. Participation did not come down to an individual choice like many of those reconised recently. Many others were selected and some even received their full uniforms. When pressured into not going to Moscow they even received a letter from the Government of the day stating that they would be recognised as ‘Olympians’ even though they did not attend the Games, but on the back of being selected.
The Government of course had no right to make such a statement, and as every athlete who is of a standard to attend an Olympic Games well knows you can only call yourself an Olympian if you actually compete at an Olympic Games. In those times you had to actually set foot on the field of play. There were several occasions where players in team sports were part of a squad but did not set foot on the field of play, and they were not allowed to be a part of the medal ceremony or receive a medal.
Back in 1980 like many sports the Australian Men’s Hockey team was run separately from the Women’s team; they would not come under one administration until the early 2000’s.
The Prime Minister of the day back in 1980, Malcolm Fraser had made it very clear that he supported the USA’s boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games due to Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.
The International Olympic Committee much like FIFA do not like political interference into what they see as their domain. Now many such bodies have a clause that such interference will see a nation suspended from international competition.
The Australian Olympic Committee (They were the Australian Olympic Federation then) was put under immense pressure to withdraw as were other sporting bodies. It has since that time been revealed that threats were made to sporting funding if athletes attended, and inducements were also offered to those sports that withdrew.
The Australian Men’s Hockey team had been selected. All of the players knew that they were in the team, and having come home with silver in Montreal in 1976 many believed that this was a stronger team, and was a real prospect of bringing home the gold medal.
A meeting was held at which the players were told if they wanted to withdraw individually they could. None took that option. They then had a vote as to whether they wished to attend the Games as group, as long as the AOC gave the green light for Australia to compete. They voted to attend.
The 1980 Olympic Games was to be the first at which Women’s hockey would be contested. This had finally been achieved after decades of fighting for inclusion. The International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) had approached the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 1930 about joining forces, but these talks continually broke down. In 1952 the IFWHA had approached the IOC for women’s hockey to be included but were knocked back.
The 1980 Olympic Tournament was to be the last to be organised by the IFWHA, as it was agreed that they would now, 50 years after that first approach merge with the FIH; although this would not be ratified until 1983.
Just like the men – who were run by a different body – the women’s squad for Moscow had been announced and understandably being the first women’s event there was a great deal of excitement. Like the men they too voted on whether they wanted to compete, and it was not surprisingly a unanimous ‘yes.’
The AOC took the issue to a vote and the outcome was a 6/5 vote in favour of attending the Moscow Games.
Those selected advised this writer when writing “Australia’s Hockey Grail” and “Ladies First” that this announcement was made on the Friday. Needless to say all spent a happy weekend looking forward to attending the Olympic Games.
On Tuesday that dream was shattered. Despite having those running the two associations saying that they would honour the AOC vote Hockey announced that it would not be sending teams to compete. According to one of those selected the reason given was that there “would not be enough competition.” In other words due to the calibre of the sides competing it was not worth sending a team.
As written in Australia’s Hockey Grail, hockey was placed in an unbelievable position. In 2012 Cabinet Papers from 1980 were released and revealed that Sir Geoffrey Yeend was the Cabinet Secretary within the Australian Government. His brother Frank Yeend was on the board of the Australian Hockey Association which ran the men’s game. Fraternal pressure it is claimed was brought to bear on Hockey and despite the individual States voting for the teams to attend the AHA Board of Directors over-rode all of the other opinions. Australia did not send a men’s or a women’s team to Moscow.
Talking to players who were selected to compete in Moscow when writing the aforementioned books the pain of the way this situation panned out is still very evident, and many said that it actually gets harder with each passing year. So one can only imagine how this celebration and acknowledgement of those who decided to go and compete and defy that Government must be feeling. Remember they wanted to go. Yet the Government actually prevented them going. Now they are witnessing a Government celebrating and praising those who did go. Their decision to go was over-ruled by those in power. So witnessing these celebration must be like the knife in their guts being twisted again in a wound that has never properly healed.
The Men’s hockey team were given a six week tour of Europe funded by the Australian Government to compensate for not going to Moscow, but as everyone said, it was not the Olympic Games! Remember again that these were amateur athletes who had to hold down full-time jobs and take leave to play for their country. These were individuals truly dedicated, and prepared to make sacrifices for their sport, so having gone through so much to reach a point where they were picked for an Olympic Games they would have felt the sacrifices were worth it, Only to then have it snatched away.
Some of those players would never have the opportunity to attend an Olympic Games again. From the women’s team that was announced Di Troode, Janice Davidson, Diane Gorman, Sandra Grant, Robyn Morrison, Jan Ramshaw, Sharyn Simpson and Susan Skirrow would never get to live their dream of competing at an Olympic Games. For the men Wayne Green was the only player who would never get the chance to call himself an Olympian. As he shared in “Australia’s Hockey Grail” he tried to go around again and make it to 1984, but he was four years older and the pressure to keep going contributed to his marriage ending. Such were the sacrifices to try and achieve an Olympic dream.
These individuals should have been recognised as the pain that they have gone through was possibly far greater than those who missed out on a heroes welcome when they returned. Many still find it hard to even talk about how this decision left them feeling.
Credit must be given to Hockey Australia who write to the AOC asking for their players to be recognised. However once again it would appear that the administration may well have let down some of those they were representing.
On July 30th at 2.17pm Hockey Australia posted on Facebook a copy of a letter that was posted the same day on their website, asking for acknowledgement of the men’s and women’s teams. (see below)
It is remarkably similar to the actual letter sent to the President of the Australian Olympic Committee on Monday 28th July. (see below). However, those of you who are alert will notice that in the letter to the AOC there is absolutely no mention of the Australian Women’s team.
The two letters are remarkably similar. One is public facing and gives the impression that there is parity in a sport that is forever espousing equality, the other would appear to tell a very different story.
What is sad is almost 50 years ago the sport was unable to unite and stand as one. The board failed to support those they were supposed to be representing and do what was best for the game in Australia and say it was going to Moscow. Today it would appear that we are still witnessing mixed messages.
These are internal politics that the sport needs to sort out, but most important of all those who have suffered due to this opportunity being taken away from them deserve recognition. Pressure should be brought to bear on the Government by the AOC, as it appears that Hockey’s case was unique. In this situation it was was the Federal Government of the day that brought untold pressure on the sport to withdraw. The sport’s weak leadership kowtowed, and as a result the pain suffered by these dedicated athletes has been forgotten by many. Recognition will never heal that pain, but it may well go some way to ease 45 years of suffering.
