1976 Montréal Summer Games

After the boycotts and the massacre of Munich, the IOC hoped for an Olympic revival at Montréal in 1976. But all their wishes were not fulfilled. The city of Montréal spent extravagantly to host the Games, leaving the citizens of Canada and Québec with a tax debt they would be repaying for years. Many of the structures planned for the Games were not finished on time or came in well over estimates, and several of them, notably the elaborate, though beautiful, velodrome, proved to be white elephants that would be of little used after the Olympics. The Games were dubbed the billion-dollar circus by the Canadian press. Mayor Jean Drapeau’s efforts in hosting the Olympic were not appreciated by the Canadian citizenry.

Then shortly before the Games were to start they were marred by a boycott of 22 African countries, Guyana, and Chinese Taipei (then Taiwan). The African/Guyanan boycott was in protest of a recent tour of South Africa by the New Zealand national rugby side, almost mockingly (although unrelatedly) named the All-Blacks. As South Africa was ostracized from international sporting competition, the African nations demanded New Zealand not be allowed to compete at Montréal. But the IOC had little control over this problem, as rugby had no current affiliation with the Olympic Movement. New Zealand competed and most of Africa did not.

Twenty-six nations eventually boycotted the Montréal Olympics. Twenty-two of these did not compete at all and are as follows: Algeria, Central Africa, Chad, People’s Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Upper Volta, and Zambia. In addition, four nations, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, also boycotted, but a few of their athletes competed prior to their withdrawal and boycott.

James Gilkes of Guyana was a top sprinter and petitioned to compete as an individual after his nation withdrew. The IOC refused this request stating that there was no allowance for this in the Olympic Charter. It seemed more than a bit hypocritical as the IOC, when decrying the use of national medal lists, had always proclaimed that the Olympics are for individuals, not for nations. In 1992, the IOC would change their stance and allow Yugoslavian athletes, ostracized by the United Nations because of their nation’s civil war, to compete as Independent Olympic Participants (IOP). This occurred again in 2000 at Sydney when East Timor athletes, not yet an independent nation, and with no recognized NOC, were allowed to compete as Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA).

The Taiwan boycott occurred when Canada at first refused to allow them to enter the country, as the Canadian government did not recognize the island nation. This was in direct violation of the contract they had signed as the host nation to admit all eligible nations in honoring the Olympic Charter. The Canadians acquiesced and allowed the Taiwanese to compete, but refused to allow them to do so under the title of the Republic of China, their official national name. Several other countries protested and threatened withdrawal, notably the United States, if the Taiwan athletes were not allowed to compete. However, these protests were short-lived and the IOC finally gave in to the Canadian government. Taiwan watched the Olympics from afar, if at all.

After all this the Olympics began. Despite the absence of some top African track athletes, they were well run and the boycotts had minimal effect on competition. Track & field saw the loss of its featured event, the 1,500 metres, in which John Walker (ironically of New Zealand) and Filbert Bayi (Tanzania) were to compete. They were the two best milers in the world by far, but Walker had only himself to beat, and he managed a comfortable gold medal victory. The most spectacular athlete on the track was likely Cuba’s Alberto Juantoreno who won both the 400 and 800 metre runs. The gymnastics competition saw the Olympic début of Romania’s Nadia Comăneci, who was awarded seven perfect 10s for her performances in the gym. She won five medals and three gold medals, dominating the competition.

With Munich followed by the political and financial problems of Montréal, the Olympic Movement was reeling. Moscow would bring no better.