DESCRIPTION

The Moscow OPM was made of Tombac (an alloy of copper and zinc). The Olympic emblem sits atop a rendition of the Olympic stadium rests on the obverse while the reverse depicts a view of Moscow’s Red Square. The medal was presented in a red hinged case.

THE GAMES

A U.S.-led boycott reduced the number of participating nations to 80, the lowest number since 1956. Aleksandr Dityatin earned medals in every men's gymnastics event to become the only athlete ever to win eight medals in one Olympics. Super-heavyweight Teófilo Stevenson became the first boxer to win the same division three times. Gerd Wessig became the first male high jumper to break the world record at the Olympics and swimmer Vladimir Salnikov broke the 15-minute barrier for the 1500m. In a dramatic confrontation, runners Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe split the 800 and 1 500m.