Bela Karolyi, the Romanian-American coach who revolutionized gymnastics and led figures like Nadia Comăneci and Mary Lou Retton to Olympic glory, died at the age of 82 in Indianapolis, as confirmed by USA Gymnastics on November 15. A spokesperson for USA Gymnastics confirmed Bela Karolyi’s death in an email on Saturday evening, but no cause of death was provided. The cause of Bela Karolyi’s death has not been published, and the cause and manner of his death have not been specified, according to the Associated Press. Bela Karolyi had been in poor health in recent years.
Nadia Comăneci, who was just 14 when Bela Karolyi trained her to win gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted on Instagram: “A great impact and influence in my life. Rest in peace, Bela Karolyi.” Dominique Moceanu, who won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996 under Bela Karolyi’s coaching, described him as a man with two facets, noting his significant influence on elite gymnastics. Moceanu concluded: “May he rest in peace.”
Bela Karolyi’s career was marked by historic successes, including guiding Nadia Comăneci to the first Perfect 10 in Olympic history, but his legacy was overshadowed by controversies related to extreme training methods and his connection to the Larry Nassar scandal. Under Bela Karolyi’s coaching, Nadia Comaneci achieved worldwide recognition in the 1976 Montreal Olympics by becoming the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10, a feat she repeated six times. She won three gold medals at the 1976 Olympics and five Olympic gold medals in her career, including gold medals at the 1980 Moscow Games, which increased the prestige of Bela and Martha Karolyi.
Before defecting, Bela and Marta Karolyi were head coaches of the Romanian national gymnastics team and cultivated champions, including Nadia Comaneci. In 1981, Bela and Marta Karolyi defected to the United States during a U.S. exhibition tour for gymnastics, despite neither of them speaking English and facing police surveillance. After moving to the United States, they began coaching at a private gymnastics club in Houston, with Karolyi initially doing menial jobs before reuniting with the gymnastics community. They established a training center known as the Karolyi Ranch in Texas, which became the U.S. women’s national team training center from 2001 to 2018, where gymnasts underwent grueling training camps.
Bela Karolyi coached Mary Lou Retton to a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, significantly elevating the U.S. gymnastics program’s competitiveness. At the 1984 Olympics, Mary Lou Retton won the individual all-around gold medal under his guidance. Bela and Marta Karolyi also coached Kerri Strug, who secured the USA’s first Olympic team gold in women’s gymnastics at the 1996 Games. In that memorable episode, Kerri Strug performed a vault with a severely sprained ankle, securing the team gold for the United States. After completing the vault, Strug collapsed in pain, and Bela Karolyi carried her to the podium, highlighting the intense pressure athletes faced under his coaching.
However, Bela Karolyi’s coaching methods were controversial. Some gymnasts have reported suffering abuse under his coaching, with allegations that he and his wife Marta used harsh tactics, including beatings, deprivation of food, and denial of medical treatment at training camps. Reports from the Romanian secret police, the Securitate, described the training regime under the Karolyis as one of “terror” and “brutality,” including “beatings that caused nosebleeds” and a starvation regime. Under the discipline rules established by Bela and Martha Karolyi, gymnasts were prohibited from asking for permission to go to the bathroom, and their parents were not allowed to visit the facility.
During the Karolyis’ tenure, the Larry Nassar abuse scandal occurred, with more than a dozen former gymnasts stating that the Karolyis were part of a system that created an oppressive culture, allowing Nassar’s behavior to go unchecked for years. Larry Nassar exploited the tough atmosphere at Karolyi’s Ranch to take on the role of “the nice adult,” allowing him to gain the gymnasts’ trust and exploit it to commit his crimes. The Karolyis denied any responsibility and claimed they were unaware of Nassar’s actions, despite the oppressive culture that allowed his behavior to continue unchecked. Bela Karolyi was a controversial coach for many, especially following the Larry Nassar scandal.
Dominique Moceanu, who detailed Bela Karolyi’s behavior in her 2012 memoir, wrote: “His harsh words and critical attitude often weighed heavily on me. While our relationship was fraught with difficulties, some of these moments of adversity helped me forge and define my own path.” Despite the controversies, some of Bela Karolyi’s most famous disciples were among his staunchest defenders.
Bela Karolyi was known for his charismatic personality and famous bear hugs. He was there to wrap Nadia Comaneci in a bear hug after each routine during her legendary performance at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Bela Karolyi once said: “My greatest contribution was to give girls the belief that they can be the best.”
Bela Karolyi’s legacy, although tarnished, is undeniable. He was one of the most influential figures in the history of gymnastics, and his methodology, known as the “Karolyi system,” marked a before and after in high-performance gymnastics, influencing training practices across the sport. He will be remembered for his way of training several of the great stars that gymnastics has given in its history.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq
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