Moscow 1980

About

Moscow 1980 was the first Olympic Games held in a communist country, and was boycotted by the United States and many Western nations in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Ireland competed, one of relatively few Western nations to do so, marching under the Olympic flag rather than the Irish tricolour in partial acknowledgement of the boycott.

David Wilkins and James Wilkinson won silver in the Flying Dutchman sailing - Ireland's first Olympic sailing medal. Hugh Russell won bronze in flyweight boxing. Eamonn Coghlan, known as the Chairman of the Boards for his dominance on indoor tracks, agonisingly finished fourth in the 5000 metres final - matching the result he got in the 1,500m in Montreal four years earlier.

Ken Ryan, Honorary Secretary General of the Olympic Council of Ireland, carried the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremony.