Goodwill Games
From Hoopedia
The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The 1979 invasion of Afghanistan caused the USA and other Western countries to boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, an act reciprocated when the Soviet and other Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Goodwill Games began in 1986 in the host city of Moscow, USSR as a way to ease tensions during the Cold War through friendly athletic competition between nations. With the end of the Cold War, the Games' focus shifted toward youth initiatives. Using sports as a way to better young people's lives, the Goodwill Games raised millions of dollars for charity.
Contents |
Locales
- 1986: Moscow, USSR
- 1990: Seattle, USA
- 1994: St. Petersburg, Russia
- 1998: New York City, USA
- 2001: Brisbane, Australia
1986
Women
- Gold Medal:
USA 83 Soviet Union 60
Men
Since the FIBA World Championship was scheduled at the same time, there was no separate competition at the Goodwill Games. The US defeated the Soviet Union in the gold medal game at the World Championship.
1990
Women
In the women's basketball finals, the United States broke a 152-game, 28-year Soviet winning streak against international competition by trouncing the world champions, 83-60. Brazil placed third.
- Gold Medal:
USA 82 Soviet Union 70
- Bronze Medal:
Men
- Gold Medal:
Yugoslavia 85 USA 79
- Bronze Medal:
Soviet Union 109 Brazil 103
1994
Women
- Gold Medal:
- Bronze Medal:
Men
- Gold Medal:
Puerto Rico 94 Italy 80
- Bronze Medal:
1998
Women
Women's basketball was not contested at the 1998 Goodwill Games.
Men
- Gold Medal:
- Bronze Medal:
Lithuania 119 Puerto Rico 75
2001
Men
- Gold Medal:
- Bronze Medal:
