406: The 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics - With Tommy Phillips

This week, we revisit one of the most politically charged (and frequently forgotten) Olympic Games - the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow - with sports historian/author Tommy Phillips ("The 1980 Moscow Olympics: A Day-by-Day History").

While a much-debated US-led boycott - sparked by the Soviet Union’s brazen invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979 - kept dozens of countries away and fundamentally reshaped the competition, Phillips takes us on the inside to discuss what actually happened once the torch was lit and the athletes took to competition.

We explore standout performances from Soviet gymnasts, doping-aided East German swimmers, a rogue Austrian equestrian dressage competitor, Great Britain's dueling track duo (Sebastian Coe & Steve Ovett) - and lesser-known athletes from around the globe who seized their moment in the absence of many Western rivals. Phillips also walks us through controversies and logistical missteps that plagued the Games, including judging disputes, wind-aided performances and technical problems, all unfolding within the sleek but tightly controlled confines of the Soviet-run Olympic venues.

Along the way, Phillips shares some of the stranger, more human stories that emerged from his deep dive into archival material. Among them: a massive food fight in the Olympic Village kitchen, pirate TV signals illegally rebroadcasting the Games to viewers in Florida, and the arrest of Rollen Stewart - the eccentric, rainbow-wig-wearing “John 3:16” superfan—who managed to insert himself into the tightly guarded Soviet spectacle. These moments reveal a side of the Games that didn’t make headlines but speak volumes about the surreal atmosphere surrounding them.

PLUS: Our salute to late jazz flugelhorn master Chuck Mangione - and his ABC Sports-commissioned theme for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games earlier that year in Lake Placid, NY!

 

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