Aussie Olympians recognised in parliament four decades after defying Moscow boycott

More than four decades since they were ostracised and never honoured for competing in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, 121 Australian athletes have been formally acknowledged in federal parliament. 

The athletes participated in the Games despite opposition from the then-government, which supported a boycott in response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

The athletes received a rousing reception in federal parliament before question time today, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

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"We recognise your participation, but importantly we recognise your pain," Albanese said.

"The returning athletes were met with cold silence or cruel comments; today we fix that," he added.

In 1980, then-prime minister Malcolm Fraser declared Australia would join the boycott of the Games, saying "If the Russians stay in Afghanistan, Moscow [is an] unsuitable site for the Olympics". 

Despite the ban, 121 Australian athletes defied the government's stance, competing under the Olympic flag as a neutral country.

The decision to compete came at a cost, with athletes subjected to vile abuse and death threats. 

Swimmer Michelle Foord, then aged 18, received a threatening message on the day she won gold, warning, "if you go to the blocks, you will be a traitor to this country".

But for some, the scars will never heal.

"Unfortunately, some of us have passed away, some are unable to travel due to ill health and some are still traumatised by what happened," Foord said.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.