Seul 1988

The changed international situation was felt less at the second Olympics in Asia, won by the capital of South Korea over Japanese rival Nagoya. However, the intransigence of North Korea, which curiously claimed that the IOC should assign the organisation of at least half of the events to them, caused numerous tensions. It was rejected with disdain the offer of the South Koreans to run the marathon between the borders of the two countries, divided since the fifties by the war of the 38th parallel, and there were actually advanced threats of possible attacks. In the end, only North Korea, Cuba, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Albania and the Seychelles were absent. The Olympic movement was now heading toward its reunification. Gelindo Bordin gave Italy the gold medal in the marathon, 80 years after the drama surrounding Pietri.