1980 Olympic Team: To receive Congressional Gold Medal as originally intended

Swimming World links to an NBC Sports article regarding the intended awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the 1980 US Olympic Team. [Link] Swimming World [Link]

In 1980 there was a US Olympic boycott of the Moscow Olympics over the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Consequently, athletes were summarily robbed of the chance to prove themselves and represent both town and country in what could have the apex of their life's work.

On June 25th 1980, the 96th congress of the House of Representatives voted 374-28 in favor of awarding the 1980 US Olympic team the Congressional Gold Medal - But that is not what they received! Instead, they received a cheesy gold plated bronze medal from the USOC which the USOC had to pay for.

Here is a page to the US House of Representatives of those that have received the Congressional Gold Medal. It's quite impressive, it includes Pope John Paul II; Navy Commander and de facto father of the navy, John Paul Jones; Prime Minister Tony Blair; Mother Teresa of Calcutta; Simon Wiesenthal; Gold Medalist, Jesse Owens, and many more. [Link]

Now, what you think would be a unanimous vote in the congress, it was not! 374 voted in favor and 28 voted against. I can't find the Roll Call log for HR 7482 vote to see who voted against it but I can't imagine what their reasons were.

Hopefully this is a healing moment for people like Cynthia "Sippy" Woodhead, Glenn Mills, Brian Goodell, and all of the other swimmers and athletes who were the victim of a failed foreign policy decision.

If any 1980 Olympians read this, please feel free to add a comment to this post. Send me pictures too if possible!