July 28, 1980

One of the strangest sights ever to grace the cover of SI, this human pyramid was a fitting opening glimpse of the Moscow Games, which took on a surreal quality because of a 61-nation boycott led by the U.S. Another 16 of the 81 competing countries refused to carry their flags in to the stadium for the Opening Ceremonies in protest of Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

Photograph by Rich Clarkson