In the 1980s they changed it. Possibly for the 1980 Olympics, actually...
The problem was that Western nations were getting creamed, because they couldn't put their professional athletes in and so had to send their amateurs. Whereas the People's Glorious Socialist Paradises had plenty of unprofessional, unemployed folks who JUST HAPPENED to be supported by the State's Glorious Top Coaches, but not earning any money or competing in events professionally.
(Because no good Socialist would want to be so avaricious as to compete for money, comrade...)
So the IOC changed the rules, and it they still creamed us because they also had the People's Glorious Revolutionary Pharmaceutical Factory supporting them. But that's a whole different story... *grins*
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The problem was that Western nations were getting creamed, because they couldn't put their professional athletes in and so had to send their amateurs. Whereas the People's Glorious Socialist Paradises had plenty of unprofessional, unemployed folks who JUST HAPPENED to be supported by the State's Glorious Top Coaches, but not earning any money or competing in events professionally.
(Because no good Socialist would want to be so avaricious as to compete for money, comrade...)
So the IOC changed the rules, and it they still creamed us because they also had the People's Glorious Revolutionary Pharmaceutical Factory supporting them. But that's a whole different story... *grins*