Bela Karolyithe legendary Romanian coach who led Nadia Comaneci y Mary Lou Retton to win the Olympic gold medal and revolutionized the world of gymnastics, died this Saturday at the age of 82.
Karolyi, whose influence marked an era, was tainted by accusations of abuse in his training method, especially after the scandals related to Larry Nassar, the doctor of the US national gymnastics team, convicted of sexually abusing dozens of young athletes.
The news of his death was confirmed by Nadia Comaneciwho shared an emotional tribute through his Instagram account. In the publication, the phenomenal former Romanian gymnast included a carousel of photos, including a black and white one in which she appears with Karolyi, walking through the forest. In the caption he wrote: “A huge impact and influence on my life. RIP Bela Karolyi.”
In an interview with the American newspaper USA TodayComaneci recalled how Karolyi accompanied her in her legendary performance at the Montreal Olympic Games 1976where she made history by earning the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history. “Almost 50 years ago he guided me to the historic performance of the first perfect 10 in the Olympic Games… and that changed my life forever,” he declared.
Bela Karolyi was born in Romania in 1942 and immigrated to the United States in 1981, where he began training gymnasts in his own gym. Throughout his career, he became a controversial figure due to his extremely demanding training style, but he is also remembered as the architect of the transformation that made American gymnasts dominant on the world stage.
Under his direction, both Comaneci and Retton achieved historic achievements in the Olympic Games, and their methodology, known as the “Karolyi system”, marked a before and after in high-performance gymnastics.
However, the darker side of his method emerged in recent decades, when details were revealed about the harsh training practices and culture of abuse that prevailed under his supervision and that of his wife Martha, also a trainer.
After the scandals linked to Larry Nassar, Karolyi and other officials of the US Gymnastics Federation were investigated for their complicity in an environment of abuse that lasted for years. Although she denied having directly participated in the abuse, her name became associated with a culture of silence and neglect that affected many gymnasts.
Despite the controversies, Bela Karolyi was one of the most influential figures in the history of gymnastics, and his legacy, although tarnished, is indisputable. His work changed the course of the sport in the United States, making them a global power in gymnastics.