Question

Why did sports, specifically the Olympics, mean so much to the US and the USSR politically? In other words, what did they have to gain?

Answer 1

Answer:

t the start of the Soviet Union, all things that were seen as tools of capitalism were renounced; this included competitive sports.  Therefore, the Soviet Union refused to participate in the international Olympic Games.  However, by the 1930s the Soviet Union began to take a different stance concerning competitive sport.Explanation:

Answer 2

Answer
During the Cold War, many nations used sport for political or ideological purposes, such as demonstrating the superiority of their system over others. 2. From the late 1940s, the Soviet Union invested heavily in sport, creating infrastructure and programs to identify,