NEW YORK – It’s been nearly thirty years after the 1980 U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games, but the wounds of some of the American athletes who lost their one and only chance to compete in the Olympics still have not healed.

“After 30 years, it is not surprising that a lot of the athletes have very strong opinions about President Carter, the boycott and the politics that led to this unfortunate chapter in Olympic history,” says Tom Caraccioli, who co-authored with his twin brother Jerry the book BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. “Some of the athletes are extremely philosophical, others have gotten over it and others remain vehemently bitter about missing their chance for Olympic glory and fame.”

BOYCOTT: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games ($25.95, New Chapter Press, www.NewChapterMedia.com) chronicles the stories of 18 elite American athletes who trained thousands of hours for their once-in-a-lifetime chance at Olympic glory in Moscow only to become pawns in a political Cold War chess match between superpowers. The book also outlines the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that led to the boycott, efforts by a group of athletes to overturn the boycott by legal means, and the entire 1980 team eventually receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award which is bestowed by the United States Congress.

Athletes featured in the book are: Don Paige (Athletics) Philadelphia, Pa. / Bahama, N.C.; Glenn Mills (Swimming) Ridgeville, Ohio / Chester, Md. ; Gwen Gardner (Athletics) Los Angeles, Calif; Gene Mills (Wrestling) Pompton Lakes, N.J. / Liverpool, N.Y. ; Craig Beardsley (Swimming) New York, N.Y. / Chatham, N.J. ; Sue Walsh (Swimming) Hamburg, N.Y. / Durham, N.C.; Bill Hanzlik (Basketball) Beloit, Wisc., / Denver, Colo.; Amy Koopman (Gymnastics) Arlington Heights, Ill.; Isiah Thomas (Basketball) Chicago, Ill. / New York, N.Y.; Carol Blazejowski (Basketball) Fairview, N.J.; Luci Collins (Gymnastics) Inglewood, Calif.; David Kimes (Shooting) Monterey Park, Calif. / La Palma, Calif.; Brian Gust (Wrestling) Lakeville, Minn.; Lisa Buese (Swimming) Louisville, Ky. / Palo Alto, Calif.; Linda Cornelius Waltman (Athletics) Ft. Worth, Tx / Boerne, Tx; Thomas Schuler (Cycling) Birmingham, Mich. / Wauwatosa, Wisc; Ron Galimore (Gymnastics) Ames, Iowa / Indianapolis, Ind.; Debbie Landreth (Volleyball) El Segundo, Calif. / Granger, Ind.

In BOYCOTT, Waltman says she thinks of her missed opportunity each time the Olympic Games takes place, whether it is the Summer Games or the Winter Games like this coming February in Vancouver.

“I don’t think I’ve ever watched a Winter or Summer Olympic Games, and seen the American team march in, that I don’t think about missing out on that. Every time,” she says. “It never feels any better. It’s really not about what you do at the Olympics. It’s being a part of the Olympics. You’ve heard that statement before and it really is true. That is something you shouldn’t take away from an athlete who’s given so much and worked really hard.”

Says Collins of missing out on potentially winning Olympic gold in gymnastics, “I truly did believe that if I had some my best performances during those (1980) Olympic Games, which I was on track to do, there could’ve been a possible medal for me and some worldwide recognition past the gymnastics world. Missing out on that will always leave me with an empty space, because I never got the change to fulfill that dream.”

Says swimmer Walsh, “I don’t know that I understand the politics today either, because it certainly didn’t encourage the Soviets to get out of Afghanistan.“

Says volleyball star Brown of her 1980 Olympic status, “It’s something that I am proud of and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to play at the highest level and represent our country. While I know I was on the Olympic team according to the Olympic Committee and everyone else…it’s with an asterisk.“

Vice President Walter F. Mondale, who spoke on behalf of the boycott prior to the USOC’s April 12, 1980 vote to officially boycott the Games, wrote the Foreword for the book. Mondale apologizes to all the athletes who were denied the opportunity to compete calling them, “warriors in our country’s defense of freedom.”

Among those endorsing the book include CBS Sports commentator Dick Enberg, who states, “Boycott uniquely and poignantly captures the impact of American athletes denied the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games. Nearly three decades later, I continue to appreciate and understand their heartbreak and anger. Thanks to the authors, we are reminded of their brave, but painful sacrifice. This book, then, becomes their belated, but deserved Olympic salute.“ Said Anita DeFrantz, President of LA84 Foundation, member of the International Olympic Committee and USOC Board member, “The boycott of 1980 was a stunning experience because I thought in our country, the individuals had the right to make their choices in sport. It is reassuring that the Caracciolis decided to tackle this story about America and American athletes in a challenging time.“

Boycott is published by New Chapter Press – also the publisher of The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer, The Bud Collins History of Tennis by Bud Collins among others. Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is an independent publisher of books and part of the Independent Publishers Group.