• Moscow 1980

Moscow 1980 - Quick Hits

ESPN staff
October 12, 2011
Moscow 1980: Key Moments | Quick Hits | Key Facts | Medal Table | Gallery | Olympics Histories Home

Sebastian Coe caused a huge shock by beating team-mate Steve Ovett in the 1500m final © PA Photos
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Double nationality
Angelo Parisi had the peculiar honour of winning four Olympic medals in judo between 1972 and 1984 while holding two different passports. Born in Italy but raised in London, he won the bronze medal in the "all categories" (open class) for Britain in 1972. He then met and married a Frenchwoman, allowing him to obtain French nationality. Competing in 1980 under the tricolor he became the first French Olympic judo champion, in the heavyweight division, and added a silver medal to his tally in the all categories division. In 1984, he won another silver, this time as a heavyweight.

The boy done well
Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin won a medal in all eight events he took part in with three gold, four silver and one bronze. To crown this achievement he also became the first man to be awarded a perfect 10.

A loser for Lloyd's
American TV network NBC was in a flap after the US boycotted the 1980 Games, having paid almost $100 million for broadcasting rights. English insurer Lloyd's was the eventual loser, paying NBC almost 90 percent of that fee after NBC filed a claim on an insurance package.

When a holiday is not a holiday
All Soviet children between the ages of 7 and 15 were evacuated from Moscow. Officially, they were "on holiday" in the countryside. But other sources confirmed that they had been sent away so as not to encounter and thus become culturally or politically "contaminated" by the Western visitors.

Flying the flag
During the opening ceremony, 65 delegations paraded behind their national flags with 16 exchanging their national colours for the Olympic flag, a signal of peace.

Podium problem
The participation of numerous countries without an accompanying national flag or amthem resulted in comical podium presentations. Thus at the end of the cycling event, the sole flag flying was the Olympic flag, and the only anthem playing was the Olympic anthem - all to represent Swiss Robert Dill-Bundi, Frenchman Alain Bondue and Dane Hans-Henrik Orsted.

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