Australia competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. In partial support of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, Australia competed under the Olympic Flag. 121 competitors, 93 men and 28 women, took part in 92 events in 17 sports.
For the first time in the Olympics history, there were two flag bearers, Denise Boyd (athletics) and Max Metzker (swimming), Australia's first joint-flag carriers, carried the Olympic flag in the opening ceremony instead of the national flag. Countries marched in order of the Russian alphabet, and Australia was therefore second in the parade of nations, following Greece, which has traditionally led the march since 1928.
Athletes who competed at the Games were formally recognized by the Australian Government on July 30, 2025.
In the third Olympic archery competition that Australia contested, the nation sent two women and one man. <br/> Officials: Section Manager - Keith Gaisford
Officials: Section Manager - Ray Durie, Chief Coach - John Daly, Coach - Jean Roberts, Coach - Pat Clohessy
Offivccials - Section Manager - Robert Staunton, Coach - Lindsay Gaze, Assistant Coach - Alan Dawe
Officials: Section Manager - Arthur Tunstall
Officials: Section Manager - Zoltan Sziegeti, Coach - Reg Hatch
Officials: Section Manager - Les Dunn, Track Coach - Charlie Walsh, Road Coach - John Hardaker
Note - Michael Turtur did not compete in 4000m team pursuit due to illness.
Officials: Coach - Ian Nicholls
Officials: Section Manager - Neil Archibald
Officials: Section Manager - Frances Thompson
Officials: Section Manager - John Rodda
Officials: Section Manager - Howard Edmunds
Officials: Section Manager - John Boultbee, Chief Coach & Men's Pair - Reinhold Batschi, Coach Men's Eight - Paul Dane, Coach Women's Four - David Palfreyman
Officials: Section Manager - Bob Hemery
Officials: Section Manager- Peter Bowen Pain, Coach - Bill Sweetenham, Coach Joe King
Officials: Manager - John Whitehouse, Coach - Tom Hoad
Officials: Section Manager - Lyn Jones
Officials: Section Manager - Sam Parker
Officials: General Manager and Chef de Mission - Phil Coles, Assistant General Manager - Jim Barry, Administration Director - John Coates, Secretary-General - Julius 'Judy' Patching
The Fraser government lobbied the Australian Olympic Federation and national sports organisation to boycott the Moscow Olympics due to the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan. On 23 May 1980, the Federation voted 6-5 to attend the Games. Voting for participation: David McKenzie, Phil Coles, William 'Bill' Hoffman, Tom Blue, John Rodda, Lewis Luxton and voting against: Sydney Grange, Kevan Gosper, Julius Patching, Jack Howson and Eric McRae. The deciding vote was Lewis Luxton, an honorary International Olympic Committee member. The decision led to several selected athletes withdrawing due to personal reasons and several national sports organisations withdrawing. Australian Shooting Association decision to withdraw was successfully challenged by Yvonne Hill in court.
Australian Olympic Committee has identified 62 athletes selected that did not compete due to personal withdrawal or their national sports organisation not sending a team.
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Expenditure report in 1984 identified athletes and national sports organisations that were compensated for not attending the Moscow Olympics. National sports organisations that received payments used the funding to attend other international sporting events.
On 30 July 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley in the House of Representatives formally acknowledged and welcomed home the 121 athletes who defied Fraser government to compete under a neutral flag at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Athletes that were selected but did not attend were also acknowledged.
Norman May's call of the Men's 4 ÃÂ 100 m Medley Relay, in which he excitedly exclaimed "Four, Three, Two, One. Gold, Gold to Australia, Gold", has become one of the most famous calls in the history of Australian sport.