Bela Karolyi was a gymnastics coach whose sometimes-controversial methods helped transform U.S. gymnastics and bring home gold medals, techniques that also stirred up criticism for alleged abuse.
- Died: November 15, 2024 (Who else died on November 15?)
- Details of death: Died in Houston at the age of 82.
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Bela Karolyi’s legacy
When Karolyi defected from Romania to the United States in the early 1980s, he quickly helped establish the U.S. as a player in international gymnastics competitions, serving as the personal coach and trainer for superstar Mary Lou Retton and groundbreaking athlete Julianne McNamara. But his methods were not without controversy.
Born in Hungary and rising to prominence in Romania, Karolyi coached future superstar Nadia Comăneci, who won five Olympic gold medals and was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10. She was just 14 when she accomplished the feat. However, Karolyi and his family defected to the U.S. after repeated clashes with Romanian Federation leadership. They sought and gained political asylum and ended up in Texas, where he set up shop as a coach of champions.
For the 1984 Olympics, Karolyi coached Retton and McNamara, both of whom put U.S. gymnastics on the map. In 1996, he pushed Kerri Strug to vault on an injured ankle, resulting in a gold medal and one of the most recognizable Olympic photos of the era. He retired after the ’96 games as a widely praised coach and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame the following year.
However, Karolyi’s work generated as much criticism as it did praise. Critics called his methods sadistic and abusive. Strug’s famed vault while injured, for example, was not necessary for the U.S. to win the gold. Some athletes under his tutelage said he was verbally and psychologically abusive, including making them train while injured. In addition, some of the sexual abuse perpetrated by disgraced physician Larry Nassar took place at Karolyi’s training facility, though Karolyi himself was never implicated in the scandal. In January 2018, USA Gymnastics cut ties with him.
Over the course of his career, Karolyi coached nine Olympic champions, six U.S. national champions, 15 world champions, and more medalists in Europe, making him one of the most decorated gymnastics coaches in modern times.
Tributes to Bela Karolyi
Full obituary: Houston Chronicle
