 The second most dominating nation at the time was the Soviet Union, which had claimed five top three finishes since the 1976 Summer Olympics.Both these Eastern Bloc nations were part of the boycott in 1984, and that left New Zealand as the reigning world champion as the favourite for the event.The USA was also highly rated, having won world championship silver and bronze in 1981 and 1982, respectively, and gold at the Pan American Games in 1983.