The
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
is a major international multi-sport event. During its history, there have been full boycotts on six occasions, all of them at Summer Olympics: the first boycott occurred at the
1956 Summer Olympics, with the most recent being at the
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
.
Rhodesia was prevented from entering the
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
when its invitation was withdrawn by the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
following protests by other African countries.
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
were not invited to the
1964 Games, while its invitation to the
1968 Games was withdrawn after other African countries threatened to boycott the Games due to
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
: South Africa would not be permitted to return to the Olympics until
1992.
Possibly the most famous Olympic boycotts occurred in
1980 and in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, during the
Cold War.
In 2021, several nations announced a diplomatic boycott of the
2022 Winter Olympics to protest the Chinese mistreatment of the
Uyghur population, thus prohibiting government officials from attending the games in an official capacity, while still permitting athletes to compete.
Later,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
joined the boycott, accusing that
China had chosen
Qi Fabao, a regimental commander in the
People's Liberation Army, as a torchbearer of the event.
List of full boycotts of an Olympic Games or full non-attendance
List of
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
non-attendance of government officials or diplomatic boycotts of the Olympic Games
* Countries that due to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
concerns or diplomatic boycotts did not send official delegations to the Games, however athletes were permitted to participate.
Note: During the
2014 Winter Paralympics
The 2014 Winter Paralympics (russian: Зимние Паралимпийские игры 2014, Zimniye Paralimpiyskiye igry 2014), the 11th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, were a ...
in Russia, due to
Russia's annexation of Crimea
In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War.
The events in Kyiv ...
and the violation of the
Olympic Truce
The Olympic Truce is a tradition originating from ancient Greece that dates back to 776 BC. A " truce" (Ancient Greek: ékécheiria, meaning "laying down of arms") was announced before and during the Olympic Games to ensure the host city state (E ...
, the United States and United Kingdom diplomatically boycotted the event, and the entire Ukrainian delegation except for their flagbearer boycotted the opening ceremony.
References
{{Olympic Games controversies
Olympic Game boycotts
*Olympic Game boycotts