Thirty-two years ago, the United States led a boycott against the Summer Olympics to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Several countries joined the U.S. in the boycott, and the result is that 65 countries did not participate. Four years later, a Soviet led boycott was held against the Olympic games in Los Angeles.
The decision led by the United States affected many countries, teams, and individuals worldwide. In many cases, individual athletes from boycotting nations participated in the games under an Olympic flag instead of their countries flag. The U.S. decision had a rippling effect on subsequent decisions.
When we look backwards at decisions it is easier to see the impact, then when the decision was pending in front of us. Even though you can’t change many decisions, you can learn from them. You can also learn how to make better decisions.
Whether you think the U.S. boycott was the correct response, an appropriate response, or a weak response, you have to agree, the decision after 32 years feels different than it did at the time.