Montreal 1976

After the massacre of Munich the IOC hoped that the Canadian Games could energetically re-launch the destiny of the Olympic movement. Things went differently. The phenomenon of the boycott (which would affect the Olympics until 1992, thanks to the unrivalled spotlight it would have in the mass-media) returned with disruptive results. A few days before the opening, while their athletes were already in Canada, 22 African nations and Guyana pulled out in protest over the participation of New Zealand. The famous All-Blacks rugby team had actually toured South Africa, who were excluded from the Olympic movement because of the apartheid. The Italians, winning only 2 gold medals, hit their lowest point at the Olympics.