The 1980 Moscow Olympics, held between July 19 and August 3, represented one of the most emblematic episodes of the intertwining of sport and politics during the Cold War. The opening ceremony at Moscow's Lenin Stadium was missing 65 national delegations—including the United States, West Germany, Japan, and Canada—who joined the boycott promoted by US President Jimmy Carter. Delegations from 16 countries, including Italy, France, and the United Kingdom, instead decided to participate under the Olympic banner, without national anthems or flags.

The boycott was a response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on December 27, 1989, when KGB special forces stormed the presidential palace and replaced the pro-US leader, Hafizullah Amin, with Babrak Karmal. Washington harshly condemned this action as a violation of international law. The Carter administration promoted abstention from the Games to damage the USSR's international image; numerous Western allies immediately supported this move and were part of the broader "Carter Doctrine," namely the defence of interests in the Persian Gulf, even militarily if necessary. In the United States, some excluded athletes filed a class action lawsuit against the US Olympic Committee to assert their right to compete, but the suit was dismissed. Despite the tensions, the XXII Games were held as scheduled, albeit with reduced competition and a strong Soviet propaganda bias: Soviet athletes dominated the medal table.

The Italian case was significant: without formally joining the boycott, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) authorized the participation of athletes without national symbols, in an attempt to maintain a balance between political alliances and sporting autonomy. Law enforcement officers were excluded, and exam dates were not changed to encourage student-athlete participation. Italy managed to secure fifth place in the medal table, winning 15 medals, including eight golds; memorable victories included Pietro Mennea in the 200-meter dash and Sara Simeoni in the high jump.

On August 3, 1980, during the closing ceremony in Moscow, the flag of Los Angeles—the future host city of the Games—was raised in protest, and the Olympic anthem was played in place of the American one. The following edition, Los Angeles 1984, saw the Soviets respo