Los Angeles 1984

In May 1984, just a few months before the Games, the Soviet sports authorities announced that they would not send their athletes to Los Angeles. It was a feared, and expected, decision, immediately adopted by Cuba, East Germany and other communist countries. The only ones present in California were Yugoslavia and Romania. The damage caused by the boycott, although less than that caused in Moscow, however, was sizable considering the sporting power of the absentees. However, thanks to the presence of several new countries and "autonomous territories", the number of participating delegations reached a record of 140. One feature of the 1984 Games was the "private" management of the organisation directed by Peter Ueberroth, with wide use of marketing that brought in significant profits.