Bela Karolyi, the charismatic yet controversial gymnastics coach who transformed young women into champions and propelled the US to international prominence, has passed away. He was 82.
USA Gymnastics announced Karolyi's death on Friday, but did not disclose the cause. Karolyi and his wife, Martha, trained numerous Olympic gold medalists and world champions in both the US and Romania, including legends like Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.
Comaneci, who was only 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics for Romania, expressed her grief on Instagram, calling him "a big impact and influence on my life" and sharing a black-and-white photo of them together.
The Karolyis defected to the US in 1981 and, over the next three decades, became pivotal figures in American gymnastics, though their methods were often contentious. Bela guided Retton, then just 16, to the Olympic all-around title in 1984 and famously assisted an injured Kerri Strug after her vault secured the team gold for the Americans at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Karolyi briefly served as the national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics' women's elite program in 1999, implementing a semi-centralized system that eventually made the Americans the sport's dominant force. However, this success came at a price. He was ousted after the 2000 Olympics following complaints from several athletes about his coaching tactics.
Karolyi's methods were repeatedly criticized for being overly demanding, both physically and mentally. During the height of the Larry Nassar scandal in the late 2010s, when the disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor was sentenced to life for sexually assaulting gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment, over a dozen former gymnasts accused the Karolyis of fostering a culture that allowed Nassar's abuse to go unchecked for years.
Despite the controversies, some of Karolyi's most renowned students remained steadfast in their support. When Strug got married, she and Karolyi recreated their iconic 1996 Olympics moment, with him carrying her on to the medals podium after she vaulted on a severely sprained ankle.
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