Jerry Caraccioli

Reviewed by Steph for TeensReadToo.com

In the summer of 1980, President Jimmy Carter made the choice to boycott the Summer Olympics, which were being held in Moscow, Russia.

After a vote by the USOC (United States Olympic Committee), about 650 athletes' Olympic dreams were gone. The controversy and personal stories from the athletes themselves are gracefully put together by Tom and Jerry Caraccioli.

This unique book gives readers two viewpoints about the controversial 1980 Summer Olympics. Both of the Caraccioli's give the historical background and the reasons for the boycott. Then the personal stories from many 1980 Olympian athletes provides the personal impact this event in history had on real people who had real dreams.

This interesting book is a great read for people who aren't aware of the boycott and the controversies that surrounded the sporting tradition.… (more)

I am usually sceptical about reading sports books because many times they devolve into stats, averages and numbers. But as I read this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very well written book about an important moment in American history. I was deeply saddened to see how athletes who had slaved and worked so hard to become Olympians, saw their dreams snatched away because of politics.

Olympians have a very short window of opportunity in which to achieve their goals. They make so many sacrifices, physically, mentally, emotionally and in many cases financially. Many who qualified for the 1980 Olympics thought they had it made as they would be able to compete against the best in the world. Unfortunately for them, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and President Jimmy Carter decided that among the ways to show US disapproval would be to enact trade sanctions, food sanctions and withdrawing its athletes from the Olympics which were to be held in Moscow. The saddest part about this was that for many of these athletes, they would never again compete as some were not able to sustain the heights they attained just before the 1980 Olympics. Many found that they were either physically unable to stay in Olympic shape or that they just lost the drive to try again. It is hard to accept that these young people's quest for excellence was thwarted by Carter's need to make a symbolic gesture. What exactly did the boycott achieve? Carter meant to punish the Soviets but in a way he punished the American athletes. Not a single life was saved by anyone not showing up for the games. The conflict in Afghanistan went on for many years after the boycott so what really was accompolished?

I found it ironic the pressure that was put to bear on the USOC to pass a vote to boycott the Olympics. Alot of the rhetoric used is very reminiscent of what I see in politics today. The USOC was told " If the US decides to participate in the Olympics, it would be a tacit approval of Soviet actions" and "If you vote not to support the president, you are doing the worse thing you can possibly do". In addition to all the rhetoric, it appears that undue pressure was applied to sponsors to renege on deals that they had made to the USOC. Of course the government denied any involvement in this but the coincidence is hard to ignore.

Some athletes are still angry, they feel robbed. But the vast majority of the eighteen athletes interviewed for this book, have come to take it in stride. Many believe that the boycott was a bad idea and should not have happened, others think that Carter took the best decision he could under the circumstances and in accordance with his advisers. I have to say that I was very proud of all of the athletes in this book. Despite the fact that their dreams were shattered, most have chosen to see the benefits that Olympic training provided them in all facets of their lives. One of the most disappointing things to see is that to this day Walter Mondale, the then Vice President and a key player in this event, still insists that the right decision was made. Maybe I just wanted him to show that he really understood what he and his government took from these talented people. In the foreward to the book he does acknowledge the loss that these Olympians suffered but I felt it was a bit hollow. Just my view, some one else may read the same thing and think he came across as sincere.

This book is so well constructed as the authors present the story without interjecting any personal agenda. The story unfolds from the mouths of the athletes themselves without any commentary added to sway opinions. As you read you make your own assessments and judgements as to how you feel about what occured. Another strength of the book was that interspersed with the athletes stories is the timeline and unfolding of the conflict in Afghanistan and the political events that led to the boycott. This fact made the book much more than just a sports book but a greatly informative rendering of history. A great read and I would highly recommend.… (more)