Miracle On Ice: The 1980 Iran Hostage Crisis

The 1980 Olympics “Miracle on Ice”, which came to represent the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, united the nation and instilled a sense of patriotic pride among Americans during the hardships of the time. The day of February 22, 1980, became a historic event as the two superpowers extended beyond the world of politics and spilled over the world of sports. The matchup between the U.S. and Soviet hockey teams became a symbol of this rivalry. The U.S. team, composed of some of the top amateur players, was considered the underdog going into the game. American society needed this win to boost their spirits after the many years of conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. The beginning of the Cold War started

At that point in history, the US was facing various challenges, from a difficult economy to the Iran Hostage Crisis, and an overall sense of uncertainty in the world. In 1980, “interest rates spiked, fell briefly, and then spiked again. Lending activity fell, unemployment rose, and the economy entered a brief recession between January and July.” Families found it difficult to find housing with high interest rates and the threat of unemployment. More importantly, was the Iran Hostage Crisis where sixty-six Americans were taken by militants while at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. They were held hostage for more than a year by the U.S. government, who was able to save them. Although the U.S. tried to negotiate, rescue them through the military, and use economic embargoes, all of these strategies failed. Eventually, Iran finally agreed and the hostages were released on January 20th, 1981. Up until the hostages were released, the only positive that the U.S. citizens had to hold on to was the victory on the ice during the 1980

showed the true grit and determination to demonstrate their resilience and never give up. The entirety of the team came together and showed an indomitable spirit and loyalty to the nation. As the game progressed, it was clear the U.S. was chasing the Soviets as they had scored first. Nevertheless, every time they scored, the U.S. answered, keeping the intensity high and the game close. As the first period ended, with the score two to one Soviets, Mark Johnson of the U.S. scored a protested goal but it remained standing, tying up the game. During the second period, even though the Soviets out-shot the U.S. they only scored one goal. The score was three to two going into the third. Finally, the third period arrived when the U.S. David Silk took a wild shot nearly nine minutes into the period, making the game tied three to three. Shortly after, his teammate Micheal Eruzione scored a twenty-five-foot wrist shot and America finally had the lead. At this point, the fans of the U.S. were on the edge of their seats and erupted to spur on the Americans. Eventually, the U.S. went on to win the game by the score of four to three, shocking the entire world of the two Superpowers. The excitement did not stop at the Lake Placid