Unable to persuade the IOC to cancel or move the Summer Games, U.S. President Jimmy Carter pressured the USOC to officially withdraw in April. Many governments, like West Germany and Japan, followed suit3 and withheld4 their athletes. But others, like Britain and France, while supporting the boycott, allowed their Olympic committees to participate if they wished. The result was that these countries made the trip to Moscow although many of them refused to march at the opening ceremony.
The first Games to be held in a Communist country opened in July with 80 nations competing and were dominated by the USSR and East Germany. They were also plagued by charges5 of rigged6 judging and poor sportsmanship by Moscow fans who booed7 the Poles and East Germans unmercifully8.
While Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin became the first athlete to win eight medals in one year, the belle9 of Montreal, Nadia Comaneci of Romania, returned to win two more gold medals and Cuban heavyweight10 Teofilo Stevenson became the first boxer to win three golds in the same weight division.
32个国家退出了当年的蒙特利尔奥运会，而4年后拒绝参加莫斯科奥运会的国家数却翻了一番，其中多数是出于响应美国领导的联合抵制行动，以抗议苏联1979年12月对阿富汗的侵略。
在未能说服国际奥委会取消该届夏季奥运会或改变举办国之后，美国总统吉米·卡特向美国奥委会施加压力，使其在4月份正式退出奥运会。很多国家，如西德和日本也紧跟其后纷纷退出。有些国家，如英国和法国，虽然也支持抵制行动，但是仍然允许其奥委会自行定夺是否参赛。结果这些国家的运动员依然来到了莫斯科参赛，虽然它们中的很多拒绝参加开幕式。
第一次在一个共产党国家举办的本届奥运会于7月拉开帷幕，共有80个国家参赛。本届奥运会被苏联和东德所垄断，同时也深受裁判舞弊和莫斯科观众糟糕的体育精神的困扰。后者过分地向波兰和东德运动员喝倒彩。
苏联体操运动员亚历山大·迪亚廷成为一年中独得8枚奖牌的第一人。蒙特利尔奥运会上一举成名的美女、罗马尼亚运动员纳迪娅·科马内奇卷土重来，再夺两枚金牌。古巴最重量级拳击运动员特奥菲洛·史蒂文森成为同一重量级中获得3枚金牌的第一人。
